The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-06-17

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and meeting tomorrow night there
will be little left of the festivities ex-
cept the annual class picnic.
Rev. George Merriam In an able ad-
dress to the graduating class of the
Skowhegan High School, Sunday even
ing, in the Opera House told of an
Old Testament incident concerning a
young king giving his task for life
work and illustrated what led to his
partial success and partial failure
His text was from Second King 1917
and the topic was open the Window
Eastward This was the message
of the prophet and the young king
facing the great task of his life The
prophet was about to close a life of
looking forward to that part of his
life which was to be brilliantly use
iul. The prophet was Elisha. The
king was Joash of Israel. Mr. Mer-
riam said The hope of Israel was in
this young king as a leader The
hope Of your home of my home and
the homes OF the Pine Tree State and
of the United States centers in the
boys and girls. They are the most
valuable asset of any community
What Israel would be 25 years hence
depended under God upon this Young
king Joash. What our community
life, what our state, what our churches
will be a score of years hence. half
"a century hence, rests largely with
the Youth Of today, This service
la it,t Of tra.a.tIft.tf
ing exercises of tho Skowhegau High
School and the Bloomfield Academy
for 1920 Mr.. Merriam continued
with items of Bible history touchiug
uuon TIN text OF his address and urg-
ed the Young people 10 look not
toW9rd the setting sun hlt toward the
ueiue sun He then addressed the
students on various topics into which
the discourse was divided the first
being. Fac your task" l'nder this
head he gave the boy and girls some
thoroughly sound advice. lie re
minded them OF the muscles. nerves.
snew. bone and gray matter which
God had given them adding. @Nou will
not gel anywhere while You swing
in the hamhocHs of sWeet iazineoo.
To stand on top Of Il mountain, you
must climb To get there You must
meet struggle
Mr.. Merrams second important
topic was the importance of "The
Monotonous Commonplace In Life
He told the students that place or
a job could not disgrace one unless
it be a dirty job but added that a
man could disgrace or honor job.
He added There is often more of the
monotonous common place than we
can Immediately see. Weary not at
the Monotonous Common Place"
Thirdly Mr.. Merriam said Put your
equipment in your life's work In
this he advised the boys and girls not
to bring a fraction of their talents to
a fraction of task, but the whole
of your ability to your whole task. y
Some men are financial and com
mercial machines. But as husbands
they are liliputians and as fathers
they are dwarfs and barren as Pata-
gonia As church members we'll. of
the space they occupy is the line
their name occupies on the church
book.
His fourth and last topic was the
undiscovered in the Out Look East
ward" He referred to graduation
from Skowhegan High School as not
conclusion but a commencement He
urged them to open their windows
eastward and let fly the arrows of
their best equipment to the bow Of
your life's purpose" In conclusion
he said Il bid you above all things
which are supremely important in
your life open the window Of your
souls to One who above all others
loves young people and whose COM
radship and companionship and help
fulness in life can give you the high
est and the best successors and whose
presence will debar evil and the baser
things of life and preempt your souls
for the highest, the purest. the nobleSt
things which can come to mortals
here. open your window eastward
-Christward.
In the absence Of Rev. c. H. NOEL
hiney, Mr. Merriam voiced the invoca-
tion and read the scripture with Rev.
II l.. Nichols offering prayer and
the benedietion The hymn "Fidel-
ity and Loyalty" was sung with Carl
W Malley presiding at the piano and
Mrs. Eme Pooler Malley sang very
sweetly Hear Ye. Israel from the
Elijah" by Mendelssohn