The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-06-11
Vest River 7'OUns
TOWNSHEND.
Commencement Exercises, Glass Events
at Leland and Gray Seminary.


at Leland and Gray Seminary
Old Sol favored the graduating class
and all interested in baccalaureate Sunday
with his brightest rays last Sunday morn
ing after the fine showers of the night
before had laid the dust and cooled the
atmosphere most refreshingly. The SER
vice was held in the Baptist church which
was decorated with a bank of ferns be-
fore the pulpit and bouquets of flowers
o'clock the. strains of the professional
march were heard and the undergrad
yates were marshaled into the building.
The graduating class then marched in and
all were seated in front of the pulpit. The
service opened with the doxology, fol
lowed by the invocation by Rev. Mr. Nc
Intyre. The oath psalm was read respon-
sively and the choir rendered an anthem,
Sing Unto the Lord. Mr.. Mcintyre Of
fered prayer which was followed by
an anthem, Praise Ye the Lord, and the
reading of the Sth psalm Choir and con-
gregaton joined most heartily in sing
ing the hymn, Oh, Worship the Lord All
delivered the sermon on the Essential
Elements in a Successful Career, practi-
cal and impressive address to young peo-
pie about to take up the duties of life or
to those who expect to press on for a still
higher education The address was in part
as follows:
Members of the class of 1909 'Behold
the Lord thy God hath set the land before
thee Go up, take possession as the Lord
the god of thy fathers, hath spoken unto
thee. Fear not, neither be dismayed."
Deut. l:2l.
There is no more interesting time of
year than the month of June with its
beautiful sky, sunshine, foliage, grass and
flowers. Nature having received new
impetus from the invigorating action of
springtime is full of inspiration and posi-
bilities, and presses forward with the pur-
pose of outdoing all previous records in
giving flowers, fruit and food to the wait
ing earth. Intimately associated with the
month because of long standing custom is
the time of delightful interest to pupils
and parents graduation week. The time |
is fraught with peculiar interest if the
school has fitted for the practical duties of
life if members of the class go out to take |
positions in the world or to enter higher
institutions of learning to fit for chosen
callings or professions. This is your con-
dition and experience at this commence
ment season. Some of you have finished
your education as far as books and schools
are concerned while others go out to grap-
pie with the personal problems OF higher
education. | have chosen this text and |
invite your careful consideration Of what
it contains and because the thought is es-
pecially adapted to you at this stage of
your experience. The book of Deuter
onomy is composed of Moses farewell ad,
dresses to the people of Israel-Moses
valedictory after 40 years in the school of
Moses and the people of Israel out of my
thought this morning as | try to anayze
the text for the benefit of my present au-
dience. The text asserts the land is before
They are told to take !
possession, calling for activity. God has
IL Oh md howl
are enjoined to fear not, indicating the
need of courage-opportunl activity,
obedience and courage-to these | invite
your attention as essential elements in ;
successful career. :
Opportunity: The land is before you. 7
Great opportunities are before the young
people of this land in these opening years =
of the goth century. God given as were +
IsraePs, your inherited intellectual, polit- /
ical social, commercial, Industrial agricul- 5
tural and religious privileges are set be- Il
fore you as the gift Of God, and represent a
the conservation of your forefathers. g
God established stock on these. New a
and moral backbone of the nation and the y
world We have certain degenerate l
type but you have reason to be thankful q
for the old stock for it has made you what 8
you are and has set before you opportun- u
tiles under God which invite you to NJ
| -
suit of that conception of the value Of an II
education and obligation to coming genera Oil
ions, which is so peculiarly characteristic W
of your New England ancestry, and not 6
alone should the direct descendants feel ~
his pride, but the children of foreign an e.
gelopment here in New England, the Sc
children of the English, Scotch, Welsh, SC
French Canadians and others are all shar- lie
ng in this great inheritance. Please do 81
lot forget your obligation to your New
England forefathers and Almighty God, nj
lnder whose providence have been provid- &c
ID the opportunities which you are ready ~
o embrace. What are they? The oppor- 81
unity for the completion of your educa- by
ion Our great institutions of learning
ire second to none, and in them, learned
md large hearted instructors impart
and mold young lives. g.,
Great opportunity for a business career. 81
1ere we have vast nation Of 90000000 IT, +.
+ people with plenty Of money and the - !,
disposition to trade There is no preju- IN
lice against any business, the only de- h li'
nand is that you manufacture and sell ;Dn'
n article of merit. You may. begin at -, ~
he bottom of the ladder sell book from W.
here is nothing in the way to success but %
THAT is found in the personality and hab %
is of the toiler Think of the difference Z"
he new inventions are making all the ~ ~
ime. Thirty years ago there were no ~ ~
lectric cars, electric lights, telephones, pi
rotor bicycles, automobiles, etc. Think a,
the wonderful advance in surgery! We n
id not know how to have appendicitis, y,
luch less to cure it, Dictionaries and en- ~ ~
yclopedias cannot keep up with the ~
ines. When they are in press new -
lords are coined and become old before ~ ~
he books are on the market. The won az
erful inventions in labor saving machin- a.
~ are another feature of the age and IT.
,e great opportunities for travel, the ~ ~
-onders of transportation. The first Il
eamboat crossed the Atlantic in % days; W.
ow it is possible to do it in less than five IN
avs. A railroad president sitting in his Oh Oh
flee sent message around the world, 10
1000 miles, and got the answer in So min u I0,
tes A few years ago we had no wire 10
ss There seems to be no limit to the -
re. Does not God present opportunities? ~ IL,
There are opportunities for political u ,.n
ninence open to all. 1t is broad and La ra
climate field for the trained young man Va Va
no would serve his generation by the ~
i'll of God We have enough scheming LEI
,liticians 1t is the privilege of this gen. LIZ
alton to correct abuses, develop states ii,,s
anship and arouse the broadcast patriot -, -;
m. Point out the opening for reform III
ork in various directions, moral, social, ~
nancial, domestic, the necessity of work
ong Temperance lines. Dr. Faunce said
Gently: "1n 20 years the saloon will be
DIVIDED out" But this will not be unless ere
N, the vouno paop1a of today do vOur ON