Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-29
CHAPLAIN SIX. EVANS
FAREWELL TO MIDDIES
Impressive Baccalaureate Sermon
Preached in the Naval Acad-
emy Chapel.
THEME "THE SEA Is HIS"
Chapel Attendance Broken---Crowd
Unprecedented MANY Distinguished
Worshippers Including Secretary
Of the NAVY.


el yesterday morning attendant upon
graduation, or June Week." were of
OF most impressive character, ami at
their close there were many moist
eyes in that large congregation, which
filled every nook and corner in the
edifice
The attendance record was broken
and the crowd was unprecedented.
Long before the hour for service. a
crowd had assembled outside the
Chapel that threatened to overflow
it, and when the floors were opened
there was a grand rush to gain admit
tance and coveted seat. Never was
the inadequacy of the seating capacity
of the Naval Academy Chapel empha-
sized so forcibly as it was yesterday.
Scores were turned away. among
them parents, friends and sweetherats
of the midshipmen. Others sat on
steps, and some even sat on the floor.
so eager were they to be present at the
last service in the Chapel for the grad
uating class ami to hear the baccalau-
reate sermon preached by the Rev.
Sydney Key Evans, U. S. n.
The music was of high order The
midshipmen's choir never sang better
and all were in good voice At the
close of the service a quartet from the
choir sang from the organ loft God
BE With You Till We Meet Aagain," in
most effective manner, and the echo
of the first two stanzas had scarcely
died away before the choir proper took
up the next two stanzas. 1t was sung
with such deep feeling, such pathos.
that there were few dry eyes in the
large congregation.
The church decorations were espe-
cially appropriate. AS if suggestive of
the coming Memorial Day, and of the
national occasion, beautiful silk flags
decorated the altar and the lectern A
large silk United States flag to the
right and handsome silk Naval Acad-
envy flag to the left made patriotic
and pleasing setting which could be
seen through the cross, symbolic and
appropriate. The altar vases were
fielled with beautiful pink peonies., and
the chancel was decorated with large
potted palms.
There were many distinguished wor-
shippers in the congregation, inclul-
ing Secretary of the Navy and Mrs
Josephus Daniels, who occupied the
pew with Superintendent and Mrs. e
w. Eberle.
Chaplain Evans preached an earn
fnrPnfnl
marked attention by the regiment the
midshipmen of the graduating class
seeming especially absorbed in the
preachers remarks, and the service
was long to be remembered, not only
from a churchly standpoint, but also
from military point of view.
As the brigade marched up with
drums beating and bugles blaring and
into the Chapel, the midshipmen choir
and congregation began singing Holy.
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" The
hymn finished, Chaplain Evans COM
menced the service. After the usual
prayers, the 145th Psalm was read re-
sponsively. The first lesson contained
the epitome, that pure religion and
undefiled was to visit the widows and
orphans in their affiiction and to keep
yourself unspotted from the world"
The second hymn was "Sons of God
Go Forth to War" The ChapIain's
text was THE Sea is His" Psalms. g5:
| 5. He said the devil and the ecclestical
year have united this year to bring
home to us with special emphasis the
message of our Memorial Day We are
| bi6tien to do honor to those who have
struggled and died, that the nation
| might live, and live one and undivided.
| n Ascension Day, the crowning tri-
umph of the Saviour-Bethlehe
| Cavalry, Humiliation, Ascension Day
then His glory and Divinity. and His
| return as AmbassadoT-the guarantee
| of our bliss and salvation. Hear the
! voice of the angelic messengers to the
disciples who had just witnessed the
| ascension why stand we gazing?'
Here are typified action and inertness.
Graduation day has its lesson for all.
and especially for you of 1916.
Patriotism is not an exclusive vir-
tue II is natural virtue lighted up
and broadened, not by superficial
ami noisy and narrow but a SEN
timent that respects the patriotism
of others and which, above all else
is not only possible of dying for the
country, but living for it. The worst
enemies of a country are not those
without it, but those of citizens at
home, who are faithless and blind to
their responsibilities and their duties
We need great independence and great
er neutrality-suspicious.. individuals
and nations have the same code OF
right and wrong. Force in self de-
fence and in helping the weak is just
as it was in the past and so possibly
it may have to be in the future.
There are no more noble ideals than
in the naval profession, nor is there
any place where ideals are more often