which was attended by all the faculty and students
together with a large number of persons from the
village and community The service was
opened by a beautiful piano solo by Miss Willard
and the singing of the hymn "Rest" by a male
quartette. The Rev. Edgar F. Davis, of the Col
lege faculty, led the service and preached a beau
tiful sermon from the text
ISAIAH, xL, vw.—The grass withereth, the
flower fadeth, but the word of God shall stand
forever.
ist JOHN, 11, xvii.—And the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the
will of God abideth forever.
He was followed by General James A. Beaver,
of Bellefonte, who was an old classmate of Prof.
McKee's having graduated with him from Wash
ington and Jefferson college in the class of '56.
General Beaver dwelt upon the deceased as he had
known him in his college days and paid bright tri
bute to his character and work.
Prof. John Hamilton, of State College, who had
been a close friend of Prof. McKee's for twenty
five years previous to his death then delivered the
following address, which we take pleasure in pub•
lishing since it dwells more closely on the life of
our honored vice-president and his untiring work
in the interest of our college and is a most fitting
eulogy to him. Dr. Atherton made a few appro
priate and touching remarks, after which the ser
vice was closed with a hymn and the benediction.
THE ADDRESS OF PROF. HAMILTON.
At a time like this one becomes painfully con
scious of the inadequate nature of language to fully
express feeling and thought: And I have hesita
ted to speak, lest you should judge that what I now
say is the limit of my apprecation of this man's
worth,
I cannot express my sense of his value. The
justification for speaking at all in this public place,
is not in any expectation that what we say can in
any way will gratify him who has left us ; our praise
or censure cannot affect the dead; but it is found-
THE FREE LANCE.
ed on the hope that some of the lessons of his life
may inspire the living.
The annals of the world are filled with the
triumphs of illustrious men, and wonderful indeed
are some of the achievements that history relates.
But wonderful as these actions are, it nevertheless
stands confessed that the grandest achievement
possible in this world is a noble Iffe. A noble life
is the outgrowth of a noble character, and a noble
character is a solid structure built little by little
by the man himself out of imperishable matetial
"gold, silver and precious stones," and represents
extreme care hnd wisdom, untold labor, patient
watchings, humiliations and tears, and innumera
ble victories over self and sense ; and it is not ex
aggeration, but the truth of God to say, that "he
who subdues himself is greater than he that taketh
a city." The man who under great provocations
restrains his spirit, who on verge of doubting and
distrust, retains his faith in God and his fellow .
men ; the man who has deliberately consecrated
his life and talents to the uplifting of his race, and
whose warm heart of love and sympathy goes out
to his unfortunate and helpless erring brother,
is a noble man, whether he occupy high position
or obscure, whether he be accepted as a teacher
come from God or be rejected by those he came
to save'
Nobility of character, like the pure ore of gold,
is unaffected by the estimates of men. Its worth
is intrinsic, and its quality and variety stamp it as
the standard of values and excellence for our race .
He who comes short in this is but spurious coin,
and although he may for a time pass current
am mg men; yet when tested by the scalei of gen
uine worth, the counterfeit appears,
The friend whose memory we desire to honor
to day chose as his lifework the instruction, the
elevation and the moulding of the character of
youth. The evening of his graduation day in
1856, he engaged with the Rev. J. E. Alexander
to teach in his academy at Washington, Ohio, and
for 35 years with scarcely an intermission he con
tinued in his chosen work.