p. 12 | A PLEASANT OCCASION by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 5, 1877

A PLEASANT OCCASION.

By Uriah Smith

The students of the college, and others who joined with them, will remember with pleasure the closing exercises of the spring term, and of the college year, which took place Tuesday, June 26.

Thinking it proper, at this auspicious season of the year, to make communion with nature one of the pleasant features of the occasion, the students left the college building, and accompanied by the employes of the Publishing Association, and members of the church enough to swell the number to three hundred or over, proceeded to that pleasant Battle Creek resort, Goguac Lake, where every provision has been made in the way of speakers’ stand, seats, tables, &c., for such occasions, to close with fitting exercises another yearly round of academical duties.

These exercises consisted in prayer by Eld. White, remarks by the principal, Prof. Brownsberger, and by Eld. and Mrs. White, singing by the College Glee Club, and the College choir, original essays, declamations, original and selected, in prose and poetry, with other rhetorical exercises. The original contributions showed that the writers were capable of deep and vigorous thought, the selections were judiciously made, the parts were well rendered, noble sentiments were expressed, speaking well both for the heads and hearts of those who contributed to this mental entertainment.

And this last word suggests another part of the programme. As the dinner hour arrived, long tables spread with a bountiful supply from nature’s choicest laboratory, showed that the necessities of the body had not been lost sight of in provision for the mind. But this was of that plain hygienic character that would nourish, not oppress the body, and invigorate not becloud the mind. The passage of the dinner hour was therefore no bar to an appreciation and enjoyment of the remainder of the exercises in the afternoon.

The students gave evidence that their past labors had been a pleasure, not a task, that they had loved their work, and become greatly attached to the place, to their teachers, and to one another. Excellent instruction was given them on this occasion, both by Bro. and sister White, which they will find of incalculable profit, if they will but put it to the test of practice.

Great care had been taken both in the suggestion and execution of the plan of this day’s doings, that it might be not only a fitting termination of the school term, but a fitting sequel to the recent special religious meetings held in Battle Creek, and one that might appropriately close with religious exercises and baptism. Bro. White had time to make only a few remarks, but these were pointed and appropriate, when he administered this impressive ordinance to fourteen candidates in the clear waters of the lake, most of whom were students from the college.

Thus closed the exercises of the day, all of which were well planned and managed throughout by Bro. White, and the company returned to their homes thankful for a day of recreation from the pressure of daily toil, and especially that this could be made the means of contributing so much physical, mental, and spiritual good. U. S.