The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-06-02
From Mondays Daily.

cations last evening for the annual
baccalaureate service of the Mankato
high school, held in the Presbyterian
church auditorium. These ten were
the Presbyterian, the Methodist
churches OF Mankato and North Man
kato, the Baptist, Christian, Congre-
gational and Swedish Lutheran, Our
Savior's and Trinity Norwegian Luth-
eran churches and the Welsh Calvin
istic Methodist
Every available seat was taken,
not only on the floor and in the bal
cOny of the main auditorium itself, but
also on the floor and in the balcony
of the Sunday school room, which was
united with the main auditorium by
opening the great doors, arranged for
just such occasions.
The seventy eight high school grad
yates were grouped in reserved seats,
on the floor directly in front of the
chancel. Four other reserved seats
at the left were occupied by the high
school instructors.
The chancel was most beautifully
decorated for the occasion with palms,
ferns, gladioli, white lilacs and red
tulips.
Five Pastors Participated.
Five local pastors participated in
conducting the services Rev. r. w.
Hobbs presiding pronounced the in
vocation and led in prayer. Rev. Ed
ward Constant led the psalter read
ing. The scripture lesson was read
by Rev. w. E. Evans. Rev. Warner
Johnson led in prayer, invoking a
special blessing on the graduates, who
were about to enter into new fields of
life. Rev. T. R. Paden preached the
sermon of the evening and closed the
service with the benediction.
The musical features of the pro-
gram were so well executed as to
bring forth many complimentary ex-
pressions after the service was over.
Mrs. Mamie Skuse Gerlach played the
organ and Charles Schwanenberg
played the violin. The choir consist
ed of Miss Cornelia Mansfield, Mrs
George Nerbovig, Joseph Tallman
and Frank Blyler.
Rev. Paden, in his baccalaureate ad-
dress, preached on the text, Lead
me to the rock that is higher than
I."-Psalms, 612. His sermon was
in part as follows:
Need Of Guidance.
what could we better do this
evening than turn our attention to
this petition, which gives the fullest
and most perfect expression to our
need This is the essential cry of the
heart to God and for God. 1t voices
our need of guidance lead me-; our
dependence, to the rock, and our
purest aspiration, that is higher than
l. The central thought of the petit
ton is that of rock that is a basis
Of stability, point of vision and a
summit of aspiration.
There is always hope for man,
when there is hope in man. And when
aspiration dies, we may as well die.
Achievement seldom outruns ecpecta-
ton. If therefore we would endure,
we must learn the secret of uncon-
querable expectations and of indie
structible enthusiasm, of unconquer-
able hope, of unquenchable aspiration.
Dreams Have Their Place.
"How soon the hour of disillusion-
ment arrives. We begin so early to
disparage our youthful dreams. We
are SCdICcly OuI VI Jul lcCuS UCIoI .
we get cynical twang in our voice
and count ourselves wise because we
are hopeless. This is all wrong.
Dreams have their place in life. JO-
seph dreamed of ruling over his bretn-
rem long before he was Pharaoh's
prime minister. Moses that morning,
when he was gowned and went out
and looked on his brethren's burden,
became the redeemer of nation from
slavery. Columbus discovered a new
world before ne left Spain.
Gall these and ten thousand thou
sands of heros have dreamed dreams
and seen visions and then their dreams
have found wings and feet and walked
the earth and become realities. Moses
endured as seeing him that was invis-
ible. David endured and bided his
time, when chased like wild fox
and living with outlaws, because his
expectation was in God. Abraham
Lincoln never could have brought his
victorious Ship of State into port
safe and sound had he not squarely
planted his feet on the rock of ages :.
If ever a man in a great crisis cried,
Lead me to the rock that is higher
than L. Abraham Lincoln did. Wash
ington bowed his heart and knees
with the same earnest petition and it