The log cabin Democrat., 1913-05-29
DELIVERS SERMON TO H. s. GRADUATES DR. q. LISTEN BREACHES PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER ADJ DRESSES LARGE AUDIENCE
 AT M. E. CHURCH.
From Mondays Daily

From Mondays Daily
 In the presence of a crowded audi ence Dr. George H. Steen, pastor of the Conway Presbyterian church last night delivered the sermon to the graduating class of the Conway high school.
 { The preacher spoke from the text: 1: (Matt. 13:33) "The kingdom of heav- en is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'
 The speaker said in part: "The Kingdom of heaven is the principle of right, which when hid away in the heart operates upon the various pow CTS and faculties until the whole man is brought under it's benign influence. This principle is eternal, irresistible, yet it does not march at the blare of the trumpet; it does not make it's con- quest with the rattle of musketry or roar of the cannon, but with the si- lence of leaven and effectiveness of the sunshine and showers upon the germi mating seed.
 Character is not built up of one gigantic deed, but of many, many lit tie thoughts, deeds and habits. Every one begin in early infancy and day by day builds character for eternity. Ev cry character presupposes a principle, right or wrong, true or false. The truly beautiful character must be built upon Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages.
 "The eternal principle, the Spirit of Christ, works through a great many secondary agencies. Likewise the evil powers acts through the same kind of agencies. Young friends, the power of light and the powers of darkness are all around you striving to exert their influence upon you.
 "Now let us notice some of the silent influences operating all around us. We may notice first, material influences. Here may be mentioned gravitation. This is a silent, yet powerful infiu- ence. So with the will-o-the-wisp pow .er called friction, it is everywhere ex- erting it's influence. So with the sun- shine and showers, which cause the chemicals in the soil to act upon the tiny seed everywhere and cause them to spring into life.
 "There are also silent influences that act upon the minds of boys and girls. Every thought leaves it's inn press upon the mind. There are also silent moral forces. All men are en- dowed with conscience, that faculty of the soul which discriminates between right and wrong. All men have not wide-a wake, equally discriminating conscience With some the conscience is sensitive toward the right as the magnetic needle for the north pole. With others the conscience is callous and harder to impress for the right.
 "There are many moral forces-we mention only two-books and compan- ions. Not only do books affect the in- tellectual nature; they also affect the moral nature. The mind may be inno- cent of evil thought, but when a bad book is read it becomes tainted.
 'Now notice briefly the effect of bad companions. Paul said evil communi- cations corrupt good manners. We have seen this illustrated; some of Us may have had personal experience of it. Many boy has filled drunkard's grave because persuaded to take his first dring of rum. Boys often get their first lessons in gambling not in