The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-06-17
Uttered by Rev. H. Philbrook
Morrell of st. Law
renee Unive'T y
BACCALAUR.A re TALK
AT CONS .NCEMENT
The spea,y Emphasized the
Mean. g of the Word
Service

yersity, Canton, N. ", with the custom.
AIRY class Sunday exercises at the Uni.
versalist church yesterday ushered in the
49th annual commencement week of God.
dard seminary. A large congregation
| listened to the stirring patriotic message
brought by the preacher, the attendance
| including the entire student body from
the seminary as well as friends and rela
tiyes of those who are to graduate Fri
day. Ferns, evergreens and seasonable
| flowers were used effectively in decora-
tions about the rostrum, and the services
were made the more impressive by spe.
cial music in which the head of the mu.
steal department and other musicians
from the seminary figured creditably.
The class motto, "Esse Guam Videri," in
the class colors, had place over the
rostrIm
Several tiers of seats toward the front
of the church were reserved for the stu.
dent body and members of the faculty,
G. Edmund Milne acted as marshal and
by 1890 a. m, when the services began,
the church was filled to capacity. Rev.
Mr.. Morrel was assisted by Rev. J. B.
Reardon, the pastor. The professional,
by Mailly, was rendered by Miss Mary
Lease, who played the "Marche Solen-
nellie The girls glee club then sang
Il Waited for the Lord" tMendelssohn).
The pastor officiated at the invocation
and the responsive reading, and at the
close the glee club sang Lead Us, Heav-
enly Father" tBlumenschein) Rev Mr..
Morrell gave the scriptursl reading and
offered prayer, the glee club singing as
Lift Thine Eyes" by Men
delssohn. At the offertory Miss Lease
rendered "Arioso" (Freyl, and Miss Nat.
allie Jameson sang THE Lord Is Ny
strength tWooler).
THE Importance of Youth" was the
subject of a timely sermon by the bac-
calaureate preacher 1t was appropriate
" intermixed with patriotic appeal to
Ill members Of the congregation. At the
outset Rev. Mr.. Morrell spoke in lauds.
tory vein of what he was pleased to term
-he Goddard spirit, and from his own
fund of experience at st. Lawrence uni
yersity told his hearers of how that spirit
las been transplanted to the Canton in.
'titution by young men and women who
lave gone there from Goddard
In the final analysis, said the clergy
nan, the spirit which animated the pio-
leer patriots of America in l776 is the
pirit of God 1t still lives Ideals and
principles called that spirit into new
mphasis in the war of 1912 and again in
S6l, when it was more clearly exempli-
ed than ever. Now, in new crisis,
nth the issue world issue, the old
ioneer fighting spirit of America, the
pirit inspired of God, is reasserting it.
elf The preacher declared that it has
vorked wondrous change on the Amer.
an people in the space of year, and
hat in its expression good many
eople have found themselves
Youth and age may not wholly inter
ret the spirit of God, he continued,
ithout having recourse to some of the
of religion, although youth
ader present circumstances may 90 far
'ward correct Interpretation by reason
the gift of vision, which is given to
1uth alone. And the accurate transa-
on of Gods message is possible in the
oportion that one is a man of foresight
i'd vision. Rev. Mr.. Morrel urged his
,uthful hearers to see to it that the
irit of God obtains in their school even
ough their eyes are strained toward
e future to glimpse the first signs of
at which the future has in store for
EN-.
Truth, righteousness and wisdom be-
lg TO eternity, as does holiness, but
ere never was a time in the existence
America when religion was so diyinely
1t is closely allied to the
lnciples and ideals for which men are
idly laying down their lives, and for
lich women are making every sacrifice.
year ago, the preacher asserted, he
10 sought to preach workable theory
religion might have found his course
precarious one. America was at the
,ss roads, and no one could be sure
out the direction that its people would
low. A year had wrought a marvel
; change On the eve of the struggle
which she was to be tried in the bal
se. France was said to be degenerate,
people given over TO pleasure seeking.
t she faced the crisis with challenge;
proved to the world that there are
more courageous soldiers than hers
tnce qualified.
t was said of America that the people
re more materialistic than spiritual
C, that they were given over to
nggle for wealth, and the enjoyment
pleasure. Then came the crisis and
sublime response far exceeding ex-
tations. Our achievements in one
T OF Nafs ehtu lHe clergyman DedT
ness to our belief in ideals that have
ir very foundation in religion. 1t is
uman religion bigger than denomins-
lalism. In this connection the preach
-eferred to the whole-hearted support
ch the American people are according
conseription act. Before its passage.
-e were many who said that il must
meet failure. VI was alto
Ter contrary TO American ideals. Yet
n the test came America gladly gave
in the msqner that the gov
nent directed
Ut progress in this great conflict for
Is and world democracy, asserted the
Iker. serves only to re-efvphssize the
ortance Of youth. Thus iar il is not
{ we have obtained. but rather the
Mise Of the future that counts. II
who has attained the age Of 30. or
i moving on toward so, was de-
"a 10 contribute anything to the
a. be has already made that euntri-
on. With youth there Is a difference.
hone for the future j. wrapped up In
Young manhood and Young woman
Of the nstion.