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VOL 27.
Oar Normal School.
The Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Com
mencement Week Briefly Told.
The Baccalaureate Sermon The Splendid
Junior Entortainmont A Most Helpful
Lecture Former Class Reunions
Most Interesting Class Day
Exercises-Commencement
Day Alumni Meeting
Splendid Banquet.
HACCALAUREATE SERMON.
The Sabbath of June 26th, was one
of those perfect days when everything
in nature is in happy accord with the
buoyant spirits of expectant, joyous
youth. It was a day, which, even
apart from its sacredness, was intend
ed to make everyone happy.
Under such inspiring influences the
Senior class of '92 assembled at 2:30
P. M. in the beautiful new chapel of
Institute Hall to hear the Baccalaur
eate sermon addressed to them by Rev.
P. A. Ileilman of the Lutheran
church of Bloomsburg, Pa.
Finding his text in St. Luke 10-42,
Rev. Ileilman took as the basis of a
most thoroughly practical sermon
"The One Thing Needful."
But one thing is needful : and Mary
hath chosen that good part which
shall not be taken away from her.
1 heme The one thing needful.
I have chosen these words from the
lips of Jesus, because I thought you
would want to hear some one speak
to-day who could not guide you wrong.
You nny hear many other sermons
finer and better, no doubt, but never
again such a one as this, addressed to
you as a class. Your preparatory
work now done and you about ready
to go out into the world and make
your record and combat its opposition.
But before going you come for a
message from God. I am glad to
bring you one direct from His Son.
You may lorget everything I say,
and I trust you will, if I can only lead
your hearts and minds to see the im
portance of these words of Jesus, and
you remember them, I shall be happy
indeed.
You have made many sacrifices in
coming to this place of learning, some
of you very great ones, and you begin
to comprehend how much your educa
tion is worth, and as you go out into
this world of competition you will
realize more and more the value of a
trained mind and a skilled hand,
when your sacrifices all will be for
gotten in the possession of your prize
Then will you feel that you would not
have missed this course of training for
many, many times its cost. Then
will your gratitude go out to those who
made it possible for you to enjoy this
great privilege, and you "will regard
them as your permanent benefactors
and never cease to be grateful. Then
will you remember the very great
kindness of your instructors, and
their patience with you, and will bless
them for their strict discipline when
you wanted so much to have your own
way and they cruelly said "No."
Because now, you have something
worth many times all their efforts and
though you had to be driven, perhaps
with the threat of expulsion, to strive
for it, you would not have missed it
had you been compelled to endure
solitary confinement through all the
years of preparation. So rich is the
treasure you have gained and I would
magnify it many times looking back
through 15 years of practical experi
ence.
But over and above all this the
Iord Jesus says to you '"But one thing
is needful." We would not stop to
listen to an uninspired man or speech.
After passing through the splendid
curriculum you have, the combined
wisdom of all the past and present
education, to have some one say to
you there is something better to
to be learned than all that has been
taught you, would be presumption in
deed. But when the Son of God
speaks, he who is the source of all
wisdom, saying, there is something
better than all these, our attention is
arrested, we set about the inquiry,
What can it be ? Let us search for
the answer. You have been so im
pressed with the importance of that
which you have labored so hard for
during th?se years that yon think noth
ing could be of more consequence.
Now to hear some one say, that
there is one thing so far superior to all
the rest, that it is called "The one
thing needful" as compared to every
thing else, our curiosity is naturally
aroused to know what that is, and if
possible secure it. May God help me
to make it clear to you to-day the im
portance of these words of Jesus that
you will bend every energy to first se
cure ttdt and his promise is that all
other things shall be added unto you.
T here are very many things voii have
been considering necessary' for your
success. Education you have naturally
placed first, but how many thousand
as good, and some better than you
will have to get along through life
without this great boon. Some not
even able to read or write ami yet
they have been successful. Your
parents have not had your advantages
but they have made a splendid record,
some of them perhaps will outshine
you.
We think we could not live without
books and papers, but many wise
and great ons have had but one or
two books and some none at all. We
could make books if there were none,
or we could, like the shepherds of old
times, go out and study the great un
written book of Nature and gather ins
piration and even know God.
Money is a great luxury, because
it commands luxuries; and that is
what every one of you are after. It
may be unkind lor me to say it, but
I am sure if the school teachers of the
next 20 years were to teach without
pay there would not be two members
in the graduating class. And yet we
can live without money. Some of the
greatest and best men of sacred and
profane history have had none. What
was money to Elijah or John on Pat
mos, or Robison Crusoe or Napoleon
Bonaparte.
When you cross this threshold to
return no more your anxiety will be
for a position. Whenever you hear
of a vacancy you will lie trying for it
and if you could know to day that
there was no position for you for ten
years the courage would ail go out of
your hearts and you would see nothing
before you but starvation and the
poor-house. I am afra'd you would be
driven to suicide.
And yet more than half the human
race are without positions. You will
think nine-tenths of them are when
you put in an application for a school
and find that you are, maybe, the
twenty-fifth applicant.
Let even a pulpit be vacant, and if
it is of any prominence at all, the
Church officials will be overwhelmed
with men who want to preach a trial
sermon. And yet position is not
necessary for our success, else the
army of martyrs for the cause of
Christ and men who, like St. Paul or
John Bunyon, were imprisoned for
years at a time, were a failure.
You have come from good homes
and perhaps the sweetest flavor in
your graduation is the thought of the
home going and the precious days of
rest and recriation at home after this
long siege of study. But many of the
best and noblest this earth has ever
known had not the luxury of a home.
John Howard Payne who wrote most
delightfully about home had none.
Perhaps thats the reason he wrote so
well. He knew it from its loss.
Home is not necessary to our success
in life, else were the career of Jesus of
Nazareth a failure for he had not
where to lay his head. And yet we
are concerned and anxious about all
these things, sometimes even to the
extent of lretting, while we neglect or
treat lightly the one thing of which
He who spake as never man spake
said, it is "The one thing needful."
You can get along without all of these
but without this you cannot. Oh
What is it then and how may it be
obtained ?
It is that which Mary chose and
Jesus said shall not be taken away
from her, a woman sitting at the feet
of Jesus and hearing his word. A
little thing apparently, but the Son of
God commended it as above every
thing else. Christ's word and a pro
per understanding of it, or The Jie
ligion of Jesus Christ, this is the
one thing needful. This it is, which
if sought first, He has said "All these
things shall be added unto you" all
necessary things food, clothing,
homes, friends, position. This found
and your life cannot be a failure.
What is success? The amount of
money you can make, or the honor
you can command, or the positions
you can fill? Oh no. But the
amount of good you can do, the
people you can bless, the elevation of
the standard of morality, the bettering
of society, leading the thoughts of
men into purer and higher channels,
by precept and example enforcing the
Golden Rule, by being a light in a
dark place.
Some of these things may be ac
complished by education and training,
but nothing can so effectually do this
great work of life as the word and
mind of Jesus Christ. He is the one
who if lifted up will draw all men tin
ro him. And he ean be lifted up
only in human lives. It is when men
see that we have been with Christ and
learned of him, The Great Teacher,
that they take knowledge of us. It is
therefore a most fatal 6tep to begin
life's work without choosing first this
one thing needed. Fatal to your
BLOOMSBU11G, PA., FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1S92.
success. I know you will think of
men who have been very successful
who were not Christains, even inlidels
and skeptics. I'hey may have made
a great stir, shone very bright among
the galaxy of literary stars, loosened
the taitn ol many christains but what
have they given to the world of per
manent and exalting benefit ? Where
are the aslylums builded for relief of
suffering, or the hospitals for the care
of the sick, or benevolent schools for
the education of the poor? What
have they done to benefit humanity ?
"By their fruits ye shall know them."
Would you call the tearing down of
our national and religious bulwarks
success. The overturning of Semin
aries and Colleges and the introducing
01 neresy into young minds and side
tracking them as to their usefulness?
If you could cut a wide swath here
would that be success ? Until those
who oppose our christain faith can
give us something better in its place
they are more than criminals to slay
the hopes of the hea.t and dash their
cup of joy to the earth.
The Son of God has said there is
only one thing needful, and that we
ought to seek that one thing first. Is
it not very great presumption in any
man, however learned to place other
things above that, and neglect it en
tirely ? I do not know hew a man who is
not a christian can be a teacher either
in the public school or the college.
He must place his wisdom above the
wisdom of God, and, by his example
at least, teach others to do the will of
God, how can he succeed ?
But more needful to us is this one
thing because of our individual neces
sities. Every life has its trials and
yours more especially. You will
come in contact vety frequently with
unreasonable people. Prejudiced pa
rents who will think you are mistreat
ing their children if you discipline
them or do not show them the defer
ence they think their little ones are
entitled to. You will be obliged to
meet angry fathers and furious moth
ers who are almost ripe for lynch law,
and as steel striking the flint makes
fire, so will an angry heart if it meets
an obdurate will, but with this "one
thing needful" tempering the heart,
soft words will turn away strife and
you will be greater than he that
taketh a city. Instead of fighting you
as an angry foe they will become your
best friends, for the wise man says
"When a man's ways please the Lord
he maketh even his enimies to be at
peace with him." You need this one
thing to quiet your hearts and still
your anxiety. You will be much ex
ercised about position and influence,
and the pleasing of this director and
that trustee, and this large pupil and
that mischievous boy and you will be
in constant fear if you have the spirit
of the true teachers. And you will
often worry yourself almost to desper
tion because one and another finds
fault and you will very soon learn th'it
the way to please nobody is to try to
please everybody. But with the need
ful thing, this spirit of the Great
Teacher revealed in his word and im
parted in answer to prayer and study
of his word, and your effort only to
please Him, it will not be long until
even your foes will kneel at your foot
stool. This life is one great whole. We
will not be judged even of men by in
dividual actions, but by the ruling
spirit of our life. The World is gen
erous even to a fault toward those
who have the spirit of God in them.
Joseph made mistakes, some grievous
ones, yet even Pharaoh said, "Can we
find such an one as this in whom the
spirit of God is ?' And he made him
ruler over all his people and over his
own house, foreigner though he was.
The same was true of 1 hmiel. I le
was preferred above the presidents
and princes because "an excellent
spirit was in him and the king deter
mined to set him over the whole
Realm."
You need this one thing to give
you patience. You will be greatly
tired by unruly children. Some who
have had no training at all, many
worse than none, not a few sent to you
to get them out of the way at home,
some indeed because they cannot be
ruled at home and with 40 or 50 or
perhaps a hundred, good, bad and in
different, it is a strong mind that can
keep its poise and not break away into
a ht ot passion or worse into a fit of
tears, and your power is all gone.
But with this one thing needful, the
spirit of Jesus Christ, you shall prevail.
tie was bulletted and scorned and
even spit upon yet kept a calm spirit
under it all, because he was aiming
only to please God, and when it was
all over, He was the victor because of
the Spirit that was in him.
You must have this one thina be
cause of its wisdom. Learning is ex
cellent. It is the saw and plane and
hammer of the carpenter. Books you
will need for reference and study.
Rods will be necessarv for correction
but the wisdom and the tact that shows
you how and when to use these, and
to avoid the circumstances that
makes their use a necessity, or that
can wisely use the occasion to teach a
moral lesson and lift the soul of the
child up to the Great Judge and thus
teach him to fear God rather than
man is the wisdom you need. That wis
dom comes only from above and isfirst
pure, then peaceable. That wisdom,
David said, has made me wiser than
mine enimies, and St. Paul has said
"The foolishness of God is wiser than
men, and yet there are those who seek
the position you are striving for,
where so much wisdom and tact are
necessary, without that wisdom that
comes from above.
But another and greater reason
still for your seeking the one thing
needjul now is the uncertainty of
time. You are on the very threshold
of your life work. A few more suns
and you will step out into your respon
sible calling, but you are not sure you
will reach it even now. A few
months ago one of your number was
called away from earth when almost
ready for life's work. Last week a
young man of next year's class whose
promise was the brightest suddenly
iost his life by drowning. None of
us have promise of to-morrow, only
to-day. To pass away with this one
thing unsought is never to find it at
all.
No ore ever needed more "The
one thing needful" than the young
men and young women just gradua
ting. It ought to have been sought
before your education. God says so.
But if not then, surely before you be
gin your h!e work. Do not start
wrong.
Do not face an uncertain future
with (iod's opposition. It is enough
to meet the opposition of men but
who can stand lighting against God.
I entieat you dear young friends,
make the wisdom of God your first
choice. Yes choice. It can be had
for the choosing. But one thing is
needful and Marv hath chosen that
good part which shall not be taken
away from her. If it were sold at a
high figure there might be some excuse
for neglecting it and get the one thing
needful it would be cheap at any
price. But Blessed be God it is tree
for the choosing. You may have it
before you get your Diploma. You
can get it this very day yet, your last
sabbath in the school, without money
and without price. Jesus Christ who
is made unto us wisdom says "Ye
shall find me, when ye shall search for
me with all your heart, and to find
him is to find the one altogether lovely,
the chiefest among 10,000. Even so
the wisest man said.
One more reason for choosing this.
It shall not be taken away from her,"
Jesus said. It is the only thing with
such a promise. Everything else may
be swept away. The floods may
come and sweep away your home as
it has; so many recently, r ire may
burn up your books and clothing.
Thousands have suffered loss from
fire. After the great fire in Chicago,
some one met Mr. Moody who had
lost everything, tabernacle, home,
property, goods and said to him, Mr.
Moody you are a poor man now.
'Toor," he said, "No I I have my
Bible and my religion left ; I'm the
child of a king."
Death will come to each one of you
perhaps in the shape of a tornado,
or an earthquake and even your life
will be swept away but if you have
chosen that good part "the one thing
needful," it shall never be taken from
you, neither in time nor in eternity.
A thing of beauty here, is a joy for
ever yonder.
Monday Evening, June 27th-
Junior Entertainment.
AN EVENING WITH WHITTIER.
The Program.
Farewell to the Forest, Mendelssohn.
Semi-Chorus.
Address by the President,
Wm. K. Bray.
The Two Rabbis, Whittier.
Martha Powell.
Whittier, a Typical American Poet,
Maud L. Burns.
May Long, Fishcer.
Semi-Chorus.
Mary Garvin, Whittier.
Eva h. Dintinger.
Barbara Freitchie ) vu;t;.
Kathleen, J
Efl'ie Fahringer, Carrie Redeker.
Massachusetts to Virginia, Whittier.
Clem C. Weiss.
Hymn of Peace, Semi-Chorus.
What Whittier has seen of America's
Progress. Wm. E. Jones.
Skipper Ireson's Ride, Whittier.
Maggie 1 bonus.
Lustpicl. Overture, 1 1 t 1
Four Hands, kelereler'
Maud L. Burns, Prof. W. H. Butts.
The Children of the Poet's Brain.
(Composed for the occasion.)
CHARACTERS.
Mr. Whittier, Wm. R. Rray.
.Mary Oarvm. Lizzie rister,
Barbara Freitchie, Edna Lantie,
Mabel Martin, Una E. Titus.
Esek Harden, Wm. H. Lcudcr.
Little girl and boy ) Lela M. Stroud
in 'In School Days,' j Jacob Krout.
Cobbler Keezer, Daniel Connor.
Maud Muller. May Learn.
Judge,, Clyde Hirleman.
Barefoot Boy, Harry G. Dechant.
Reader, Mary A. Horn.
The class of '93 this year made a
departure from their usual program on
the evening set apart for their exer
cises. They invited their friends to
spend "An Evening with Whittier.1
The President's address as given by
Mr. Bray, explains the invitation.
president's address.
Ladies and Gentlemen: An "even-
inz with Whittier" mav seem to von
inappropiate for a class-day exercise;
Dut to tne ciass 01 93 it is pleasantly
suggestive and most fitting. To us
the nam Whittier calls up pleasant
memories. We have for the past five
months, been studvinir this ereat nnet
and his work and especially his poem
Snow-bound and as a result our minds
are filled with beautiful thoughts and
we have formed a taste for good
poetry.
Inspired bv the knowledge we have
derived from our study, and desiring
to impress upon the minds ot all, the
culture to be gained from the study of
literature, we feel that an evimino-
could not be spent more profitably
than in the contemplation of Whittier
and his works.
Has it ever occurred to vou how
woefully ignorant the youth of our
land are as regards our standard
literature and our great literary
men? And have vou not looked with
alarm upon the literature they seem to
delight in?
The evil effect of such literature.
upon the minds can hardlv he over
estimated. It acts as a mind poisoner,
and instead of being filled with beau
tiful thoughts and susceptible to good
influences, the readers of vulvar
literature become morally depraved
ana tneir minds are so vitiated that
they will not readily yield to the in
fluences of education .
The minds of the vounir when once
awakened need something to stimulate
them to greater activity. Nothing will
do this better than cood literature.
This literature should be chosen by a
person with knowledge superior to
that of the child, because as the
child is not capable of distinguishing
Detween tne good and bad, the result
might be, if left to himself, that he
would choose something that would
be nurttul to him.
Let the parents and teachers of our
great land, choose for the youth his
reading matter and as a result we
would see an improvement in the
moral and intellectual development of
future generations.
Thanking you all for your presence
and the interest you have shown us,
in the name of the Class of '93, I bid
you a hearty welecome.
Then followed recitations, chosen
as representative production of the
different veins in which Whittier has so
happily expressed himself.
A religious poem "The Two Rabbis''
was simple and beautiful given by
Miss Martha Powell; "Mary Gaivin"
a story of the early settlers experience
with the Indians, was graphically re
cited by Miss. Eva Dintinger.
The spirited anti-slavery poem
"Massachusetts to Virginia" was
given in good style by Mr. Clem Weiss,
and Skipper Ireson's Ride" one of
the legends of early New England, was
presented by Miss Maggie Thomas.
Miss Thomas has no little ability in
recitation and did herself full justice
in her rendering of the poem,
A very common remark by way of
comment on the evening entertain
ment, was that every performer was so
easy and natural in the rendering of
their respective parts.
There was no great gesticulating,
no affected, unnatural tones of voice,
no apish efforts to assume impossible
roles, but a simple, easy, and yet withal
a most pleasing and graceful render
ing that at once elicited closest attent
ion and warmest sympathy of the en
tire audience.
This was simply the natural out
come of the careful class drill given
these young people in their Junior
literay work.
When a teacher works with a view to
getting the thought of any selection,
and with a firm purpose of having
that thought express in natural easy
tones then all the old time stage struck
nonsense that so harrows ones very
NO. 27
Ut. -'.
soul disappears, and it becomes a
pleasure to hear a body of dellight
ful young people render a selection
of poetry or prose or perform a cast
of character that may be assigned
them.
junior essav miss maud l. burns.
The only essay on the Junior even
ing program was read by Miss Maud
L. Burns, subject, "Whittier a typical
American Poet." It was a beautifully
written essay and we regret that limi
ted space forbids giving it entire. Miss
Burns showed most conclusively that
J- G. Whittier is the typical poet of
America, and we bespeak for her in
this line of work a brilliant future, if
she will but bend her efforts to that
line of work.
JUNIOR ORATION.
Mr. Will E. James of Scranton. Pa..
had the Junior Evening oration, and
he certainly treated it with such credit
as would have brought no shame to a
much older head, "What Whittier has
seen of American Progress." It was in
deed, a thoughtful, well written, and
well delivered production, and showed
very clearly Mr. Whittier's large ex
perience in, and broad comprehension
of America's wonderful progress.
1 he last teature oi the evening s pro-
gram,' and which was quite unique in
its cnaracter, was composed expressly
for the occasion by Mrs. Welsh. It
was a poem with pantomimic illustra
tions. The poet, Whittier, was represented
as sitting at his fireside in the twilight
musing upon the various experiences
of his life.
"Memory leads Mm slowly Imk
O'er uiany n winding, devious track
To the hopvsami jo.ysor VouMs's bright day.
The pathway not utirlou li'il lu-
llere a battle-note sounds high :
And hre a poor slave.nj'itte'.'is cry
lJlerees his Inmost soul; and here
A quiet grave he lingers uea.r.
But he recalls h.iiit-.v mpmnriM tn
1 l j ...v..v. v,d .W,
and as he sums up his life he feels that
the Divine Hand has rrmi-ticil hie lin
with blessings, and that he has true
.......... t .1 . j .
wauac iui iuuuue anu content, in
spite of it all through, as he muses in
the twilight, he says :
To-night a sadness strangely steals
I'pon me, as on one who feels
Himself alone ; dear friends have I,
And willing hands are always by
To gratify my least, desire ;
Din jri lur lius no uome hearth-tire
If na nftti. kiiMKn'l si ,..-. 1 v. . .
Has ever burned ; no gentle hand
WrtH ever Til In ml tin t tan.t
Or fall with me 'till death ; no one
v. .... . "ii.. im mi ugahu j UUUUH
Una nttmtwl ma Vatlm. . nn ,.
' ' 1 ' ..i.n. 1 , uu U1T11I BUEJ
Nor daughter dear hag ever taught
To me the lessons deepest fraught,
With God's sweet fatherhood. No word
From child ot mine win e'er be heard
To help the world in hour of need.
I am alone, alone, indeed."
Tears cather at the thn lurhf- ami hie
head sinks upon his breast. He falls
asieep, ana as ne sleeps he dreams that
he is sitting beside the old hearth
which he has made familiar to his read
ers in his poem. "Snow Round "
There gather around him, not the
forms that he was want- tn goa tVi- ;n
his childhood days, but "A goodly train,
the children of his heart and brain."
Ihev call him "I-ather" nnH u
they have come to cheer him with
"lovine words and smiles nf rhr '
One gentle daughter assures him that
they are now busy in the world speak
ing the messages that he through them
Un 1 It . . , 1 . .
" opunicii viuu we snau speak:, long
after thon art laid to sleen. in nm't rcf
Then they gather about him ; Mary
Garvin with her sweet face; Barbara
Freitchie with her flag; Mable Martin,
me wucns aaugnter, now happy in
Esek Harden's love : the litt-l K
girl in Whittier's poem in "In School
Days," where the little girl says to the
boy with childish innocence.
"I'm sorry that I spelt tho word.
I hate to go above you,
Because" the brown eyes lower fell
Because, you see, I love you."
Cobbler Keezer comes tnn whh ,;,
magic lapstone; Maud Muller, rake in
nanii, vun tne judge; and last the
Barefoot Rov. Th fV Plfll criQllr onAA
j . - 9wa auiuu
characteristic part of the poem in
which they are found and as they
turn to go, leave beside the poet a
nower. ine uaretoot Hoy places his
flower in Whittier's han,1 and mttno
him. As he starts from the dream, he
looks around Still evnerti'ncr tn c ih.
- lw iaw, ills.
forms which had seemed so real. But
although the words each spoke are
rintrimr in his ear. he does nnr ee v,,'o
children. He glances clown, however.
and sees the blossom in his h
flowers beside him, and then he
gathers them into his hind and says;
'Sweet Mowers, Uod'a messenprers are you
A11J ever hrueetortli while flowers blow,
1 shall remember, 1 silall know
Thai he ran never be alone,
Who hears you speak in sweetest tona
of nod s abiding fait lital love
He then rises and with outstretched
hands, and uplifted eyes, continues;
"Father, I thank thee that thou dost afwuys
bless
Tho good thy children, try to r., ;
Their weakness pity and their sin forget :
Father. 1 give myself to thee anew."
and the curtain falls.
The conception was a pretty one
and the spirit with which each charac
ter presented his part, as the poem
was.readin clear distinct tones easily
heard' even in the most pathetic parts,
all over the room, made the scent
appear most real.
CONTINUED ON SECOND PACJK.
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