The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-06-23
BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
Continued from Page One.

world. They bring order out of chaos.
light out of darkness; they bride the
affairs of men and harness the desti-
MES of mankind. The ups and downs
OF empires and dynasties, the great
awakenings which sweep over our
lands, political, social, moral, ma
tionel and international are but the
MARKS of their mighty works, Some
times we call them stars; and stars
indeed they are,-stars that illumine
the armament of human thought and
achievement and light up the highway
of progress and civilization.
And how came it about that such
men are with us? Are they accidents
in our midst? Are they the mere
flowers of some happy chance? And
their noble works the unconscious ex-
pressions of some blind fate? God
forbid. | shake my head with a SOL
emn, Nay. They are not accidents in
this world, if by accident you mean
that something which shoots up In a
night like Jonah's gourd, which has
no eyes to see, nor hands to feel, nor
a soul to dream of great accomplish
ilChlo anu 6iOli ouo dColiiiCS' lhdluCl
let me say that these lofty beings are
the master spirits of the world. In
the language of Scripture they are
the chosen vessels" created, born for
some lofty purpose, which purpose
they saw and thwarted not but grasp
ed it, yea Rugged it desperately to
their heart and carried it on to it's
glorious finish in accordance with the
will of Heaven; thus fulfilling their
noble mission here on earth.
Human life is mystery, the great
mystery of all mysteries. Picture it
stretching from the borderland of the
cradle until it reaches the boundary
lines of that land whence no traveller
returns. AS one views it from one of
its highest peaks it looks like a piece
of open land cleared from the forests
of eternity. 1t is land of nights and
days, of summer skies and wintry
blasts. 1t has its mountains, its hills
and meadows green; its oceans, it's
lakes and it's rivers flowing in crystal
streams over sunny meadows kissing
the verdant feet of the foothills. 1t
has it's landscapes with the music of
birds, the fragrance Of flowers and
captivating scenes. This land OF
human existence has it's dark valleys
which breathe the malarial atmos-
phere of death and It's deserts, dry
and parched OH it is a land of wild
romance as well as rugged beauty,
And the roads that cover it are num-
erous. They cross and recross, at
times running in zig-zag fashion
sometimes winding their course like a
horrid serpent, always moving onward
and never backward. And it Is along
these roads that we are travelling, you,
|, all of US. 1t Is here, too, that | see
you, the class of 1910. Here you are
in this land of human life. The flu
ture is before you. For some time
you have been travelling practically
the same road. School days are hap
py days, You have~been breathing the
same atmosphere, looking at the same
scenes. indulging in the same mirth-
full sports; your paths have merged
so closely into each others that it
looks like the one and the same thing.
But from now on things will be differ
ent with you. That path is no longer
yours. | see 1t branching out in diff
ferent directions this way, that way,
stretching into the dim distant flu
ture. | do not say that the stern
realities of life are upon you yet. God
forbid that | disturb YOUR light heart
edness and the buoyancy of your spir-
its. Be young and gay and jolly as
long as you can. But this ! do say,
ard | say 1t with all solemnity, that
the future, your future will be large
ly determined by the course you are
now about to take Some of you are
conscious of this fact. You are in the
dark as to the future. You know not
which way to turn; you know not
which way the path lies. Would to
God that | might take you by the
hand and lead you to the highest
peak on the mount of prophetic vision
and there unveil to you the vstas of
the future, and say, my young friend
behold. there is the path, walk We
therein What grand climax this
would be to my feeble efforts tonight
But this | cannot do. You must look
elsewhere for such visions.
And yet, l say unto you. that there
IL a path. 1t is not a haphazard af-
fair either.-bLt real path. 1t is
your path. Find 1t and somewhere
along that journey you will find your
calling, your lifework. do not mean
q job, but calling. There Is a tre-
Eendous difference between finding a
lob and finding calling. Some are
satisfied with Job and poor one at
that; but you must find your calling
And when l speak of calling l do
not mean that you will all be min
listers, or evangelists. or missionaries
Every calling that looks for the bet
torment of the race Ia heaven-born
and is honorable. What I say is this.
that there Is a path and that some
where along that path you will find
that calling. And this to you means
everything. That path is radiant with
glory. Success, honor, prosperity.