The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-05-27
THE ROYALTY OF SERVICE
Grafton at the commencement Ex-
ereises, May 2o. 1916, of the
OcaIa High school
MARY u. SHEPARD


standing as we are III this, the
open door of the twentieth century,
by what are we confronted? by a
world Of discord, contention and
strife. 1t seems human society is
ont of tune. Capital and labor, their
hands at each others throat, rage
in the struggle whose battlecfy IS
> liberty and equality. Human intel
1ect is inharmonious. Domestic life
is coming to a crash. Nation is at
war against nation. people struggle
against people and discord is as wide
as the continents and bridges the
seas. The world of nature from
which rise the songs of love or the
MARBLES of true worship, is shaken
By discord that almost browns out
the music OF field and wood The
moments glide on and the footsteps
OF time are not heard amid the
sounds of strife and conflict. Verify.
the words of Saint Paul are fulfilled,
THE whole creation groaneth- But
suddenly there comes through the
din and roar the re-echo Of low,
sweet cadences, accompanied by full
voices in chorus. And above them
all there rises one clear and filed
with majestic sweetness. What is.
this voice of triumph that ushers in
the glorious twentieth century? Let
us listen for moment The voice
grows clearer and clearer! And with
the increased melody of the song,
light breaks through the problems Of
humanity and its rays at first dim,
then brighter and Brighter seem to
illuminate the gateWays OF the
world. AS we catch the ever increas-
ing strain we can detect no note of
sadness, sorrow or regret, but one
refrain of love and hope that flows
fresh from the heart. It is filled with
the JOY of life, of living, OF serving!
The accompanying voices grew faint
and cease and the melody rolls on
and on into the ends of the universe
and is re-echoed from the vaults of
heaven And loI AS the song goes
on the universe is hushed in reyer-
ence! What then is the burden of
the song that causes nations to listen
and suffering humanity to bow its
! head in worship? Whose praises are
sounded forth with such sflvery
sweetness, to float abroad and be
heard by all the worlds Is it wealth,
glory. fame, honor, beauty? Are
these given a place in this royal song
of praise that rings out in this, the
beginning of the twentieth century !?
No. This is one endless song of
praise for those who have chosen the
part in life to spend and be spent
that others may reap rich harvests OF
joy, peace, comfort and gladness !
for those whose hearts have been laid
on the altar and beautifully conse-
Grated to the Masters work; for
those whose days are given in car
rying good news to the hungry
brother in the wilderness; to those
whose energies are spent to the end
that health ard strength may come
TO the Wea's and oppressed; to those
whose .u1l store-house is thrown
open 20 the suffering humanity Of
earth; Co those whose life work may
be obscure and unseen by the world
but who have the sweet conscious
ness of duty we'll performed and a
small. but real service to mankind.
But whence comes this spirit that
IL 80
tury by her power? Look out over
the world within our sight, See the
woman as she enlarges her home
work in a large part and places her.
self in the fight for better laws. bet.
ter education, better morals, bettel
nation Not with view of persona
gain does she enter the contest. bui
with a higher, nobler ideal of duty te
humanity. With the same heavenly
love do the wealthy women Of OH
nation, Of other nations give Their
wealth, their time, themselves in tht
great work of lending a helping hand
to the fallen brother, of comforting
and encouraging the tired. worI
traveller Of 1ife's way. Look at on
seacoast cities and study the grea
work that is being done among th'
emigrants who throng to our land o
plenty. Notice the system. the I'm
proved conditions OF the manage
ment of this foreign element Lool
at the juvenile and prison reform
work progressing SO well, espeeialI
in the western states. Does the worli
realize the great service she is re
ceiving from those heroes? In tn
political world you viii see thos