The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-05

Audd lIISl udy OF the commence
ment time activities in>conection with
the Diamond Jubilee celebration at
Earlham, was exceedingly successful
IN every way was the unanimous
opinion of those who haze been in
close observance OF like happenings
OF the past. At the annual baccalaur-
cate services in the morning, practi-
cally the entire seating capacity
around Chase stage was taken up by
alumni and visitors and the campus
was thronged throughout the entire
day with people returned for theafestiv-
tiles.
There is little doubt but that the
attendance records of the past festiv-
tiles will be betteEed during the next
two days. approximately 5000 people
were present at tho time Of the histor-
ic pageant in 1915. Preparations, have
Deen going on at rapid pace this
morning in the final work OF arrang-
ing for the staging of thes May day
events.
DR.. Ebert Russell in giving the bac-
calaureate sermon Sunday morning.
spoke in an impressive way and pre-
sented message which was thought
10 be OF most important valzle for the
needs of the present time. 1t was
unique experience for Dr. Russell in
that he probably had never before adj
dressed such large audience in which
ne was personally acquainted with as
great proportion of the people pres
emit. The text was taken from the
book of Isaiah and was, "The Desert
small Blossom as the Rose"
May Changes Nature.
able contributions of the prophet in
the development of civilization and
in opening said:
THE desert is closer neighbor to,
Palestine than the sea. 1t spreads it's
dcsolation along the whole face of
Wyria. 1t enfolds Palestine on the
south. The wilderness of Judea rears
It's desolation from the Jordan to the
crest of the highland and peers into
the very gates of Jerusalem. Like
static breaking in on a. radio concert.
one can imagine some standpatter in
terrupting the music of the prophets
dream: Nature doesn't change. The
desert has always been there, and as
long as the mountains remain to strip
the Mediterranean winds of their
moisture, the desert will always be
desert
Yet the prophet-poet is right
rather than the practica1conservativ
II Is possible to change nature. MAN
taps the artesian waters beneath or
lifts the waters of lowlying streams
into irrigation sluices; he transplants
alfalfa, strips the cactus of its spines.
learns dry farming, and 10, the desert
is carpeted with green, garlanded with
flowers, enriched with fruit. BY such
cooperative industry the Nile valley
is snatched from the desert; and for
lack of it the Babylonian plain, once
like the garden of the Lord, has be-
come a desolation.
Reflects Character
The prophet is not only right as to
mans power to change the face of
nature; he is also profoundly con-
sclous that nature reflects the moral
and spiritual character of it's inhabit-
ants. Careless and selfish exploita-
ton of natural resources may strip
the mountains of their soil and waste
the river-valleys with floods. No
where is this truer than in Palestine,
where centuries of superstition and
misrule have left the bare rocks of
the mountain-sides bleaching in the
sun and clogged the valleys with sand.
And to this day a Christian colony or
mission can be discerned on the land
ANcape as an oasis of green or thrift
amid the prevailing deso1ation. The
prophet was not mistaken; the COM
ing of the age of righteousness and
peace would again make the promised
land rejoice and blosso mas the rosei"
Tracing the power of man to de-
velop conditions which he desires and
showing the Importance of his family
in the life of nation, he closed with
the following powerful demand:
"The altruistic elements of human
nature can be made the sufficient ba-
sis of the social order. So far it is
from being true that the self-seeking.
exploiting, combative motives alone
must determine conduct even in poll
tics and business. 1t is often said that
industry would fail if it were not for
the hope of selfish rewards. But more
men work for love than from covet-
BUSINESS. Loyalty to the country's
welfare, love of family, devotion to Gre
alive art, the spontaneous expression
of the spirit of play-these would be