Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-06-21

lands across the seas and to the newer
portions of our own land.
ION this tablet are many names.
And Of all those who ARE thus me IL
orialized l have known. in college OF
elsewhere, nearly one-half. To speak
in a personal way of these missionary
friends and acquaintance would be
a privilege and a joy. But with the
time at my command of no one OF
them can l speak at all. And yet t
will NOT be out of place. l am sure
if l say a few words concerning the
noble and heroic service which they
have rendered +" the world.
Il think of the missionary enter
prise as the expectation of ideals. In
a letter to friends at home. written I
Calcutta, May II, 1926, George Dana
Boardman wrote. among other sen
fences, these: We see as much ca" sc
as ever, yea. more for p.tving and try
ing to relieve the wretched sons of In
d.a. We are fully persuaded that the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, and nothing
else. is able &c make idolators holy
and happy. Here, in the single town
Of Calcutta, they are dying by hun
dreds in a day. and many of them
have never heard that Christ died for
sinners. The Gospel. we are assured.
can help them. To evangelize the
heather that was the primal motive
and the supreme passion in Board
mans heart.
But that was not all. In his mis-
sionary program were included other
things. From this. then little. college
on the banks OF the kennebec he car
ricd to the jungles of Durham ideals,
superb, sublime ideals of a Christian
home. a Christian school. a Christian
church. a Christian state. To that
pagan land Boardman took the CHI =
est code Of ethics, the loftiest stand
ard of morals anywhere to be found.
And in addition to these superlatiNe
ideals. the American missionary enter
prise Of today il exporting the Ameri-
can ideals OF domestic science. mechan-
zeal arts and agriculture, ideals of SAN
tation, modern surgery and the gentle
ministry Of the nurse. And in this eX-
portation of the Christian spirit to-
gether with the arts and sciences OF
Christian civilization. missionaries are
carrying spiritual light and material
prosperity into the dark and undesel-
opod lands Of the pagan world.
IN this connection / am remind d
of a picturesque sentence which is
found in an old-t:me prophecy: The
desert shall bloom as the rose For
solNe years nov 1 have seen a natural
and beautiful Interpretation of these
words. Not more than so miles from
my winter home in Southern California
is the desert, usually hostile and in
hospitable. but always possessing for
me a lure seductive and irresistible.
And yet unattractive and repellant 2 $
it seems to ne. for the most part.
there is a period during the year hen
it is transformed into region Of rare
and opulent beauty. After the rains
OF January ard February. in the
months Of April and May. from the
desert sands grow shrubs and flowers.
bearing blossoms with fragrance sweet
and having co!ors many Of richest hue
In fact no private ga"Cen or public
park can surpass in floral beauty the
desert in its spring time. In iTnaginr-
ton stand with me on rug Of white
sand and look either way, farther into
the desert or farther towards the
mountains and quite as far as you
can see. stretc1 the miies-lorg AMI the
miles-wida carpet with artistic figures
Of pink and purple verheras, enriched
here and there with the white If the
primrose and che green OF the mes
quite. No throne room If kjrgly pal
ace ever had OF its floor a carpet 50
regal as this. And in orher places on
the desert may be found the hello
trope. the daisy the blueoell. the
lupin. the poppy and a great number %
other flowers, delicate IN form and
color. 10 which. in my ignorance Of
botany, | cannot give accurate or sci
enti5c names.
And always in thS midst Of the
floral beauty OF the desert. l think Of
the prophetic words Of Isaiah Here
their spiritual content becomes more
evident and more mean,ngful. The
prophet was predicting and portrayirg
the transformation that should take
place in all the earth by reason Of The
Mossiah's reign. And 50 Of the moral
wastes ana Of The idolatrous deserts to
which Co,bys missionarjes have gone
the assuring %ords Of prophecy are be-
coming increasingly true: The VIII
dcrness and the solitary place shall be
glad for them; and The desert shall re-
ioice ard blossom, as the rose II shall
blossom ahundantly. and rejoice ever
with joy and singing
There is \ saving. ott-tirlcs Quot
81. that X is NOR, blessed 70 give
than ~ receive And you members OF
the graduating class. are sharcrs in
tAis hcnedjctjon Of hencvolcrce. Ycu
arc happy because Of tho gift that
YOU have given TO the college. With
INC names inscribed on this tablet
.of bronze Your names will always he
recalled. As the donors OF This
memorial - Co'hy's NtsSj rnarlcs a.
homo ana ahroad. You Will he CRATE
fuIly remembered in ali Of the wears
20 come But this heucd'ct9or Of
hcncvolcrce Is expressed in the com
raratlNc degree. And this carries .Ne
implication that II IS blessed 10 r.
'o'vr. CT this TRUTH | am convinced
to-day. The college Is haprv IN ~.
|rtNinS from your hands the slit tia,
N"u haNc been pleased to make. And
on behalf 81 the Trustees I gladly
HrcrNt IL. On their behalf also I
thank YOU with all my hra~.