From Dakota a mother writes: “Although my boy is but eleven years old, he has done the greater part of my reading this year, and dear little Maggie, nine years of age, is greatly interested in what she calls mamma’s course. She also often reads for me, patiently spelling out the hard words.”
William C. Wilkinson, of Tarrytown, New York, writes:
“I send greeting, congratulation and God-speed to the class of 1883. A persistence on your part of four years in a course of volunteer reading and study has not only created character in you, but also proved that you possessed character to begin with. It was not perfectly easy for you to do what you have done. There have been times, more than once, during these four years, when the temptation was strong to abandon your undertaking. But you did not abandon it, simply because you would not abandon it. Your will was strong enough to overcome the strong temptation. Now your will is stronger for having been strong. Go forward in this added strength to add strength again. The will conquers by conquering, until it becomes at length unconquerable. Conquer is a proud word. Let us change it and say something meeker and truer. Let us say, obey. We conquer only when we obey. You have obeyed your conscience in accomplishing your appointed course. That obedience is your victory. When the will is perfectly obedient to conscience, conscience being at the same time perfectly enlightened by the Word and by the Spirit of God, then we are omnipotent. We reign then with Christ. All things are ours. Go on, alumni of Chautauqua. Carry forward the banner. Let it float in your hands ever farther and higher. I do not say plant it anywhere. I say bear it onward and upward. There is always, amid the Alps of our glorious endeavor and struggle, a peak above and beyond. Climb that, and then—forward still. The goal is never attained, but the race itself is better than would be rest at the goal. Remember the ranks that are behind you, year after year, in the future. Give them a generous lead. Remember the one pioneer rank in advance of you. Tread close on their heels. Follow, so that it will be hard for your leaders to lead. Lead, so that it will be hard for your followers to follow.
“God bless and crown the Class of 1883!
“W. C. Wilkinson.”
Bishop Henry W. Warren writes:
“Top of the Rocky Mountains, August 1, 1883.
“Dear Chautauquans:—Pausing to take a farewell look at the Atlantic slope before going down that of the Pacific, my mind passes over many a place of interest and rests on Chautauqua. There is no more interesting place on the continent. How many faces rise for recognition! But I can not indulge in personal greetings, for the friends are so many and so dear that time would fail me to speak of the institution that is the outcome of the inspiration and labor of all these friends. William Cullen Bryant said Chautauqua exemplified the spirit of mutual encouragement. President Garfield said that it taught what to do with the result of civilization’s first fight, leisure; and Bishop Wiley said it was a Christian center, able to save the gospel if there was nothing else left.
“Unquestionably, Chautauqua is the grandest inspiration and quickening of mind in this century or any other. It is the consummate flavoring of our Christian republican principles. It offers all opportunities for growth to all men. It seems to present as good a chance to every man as comes to any man. This development of mind is our chief wealth. We turn auriferous quartz into coin, iron ore into a body for the soul of electricity, but mind had to be developed and refined first. Rome sought wealth by the robbery of other nations, but she never gained as much wealth in a decade as we develop from nature in a year. What we need as a nation is a perpetual push and effort of the masses of men to rise. They drag down none of the few that are already eminent, but, by surpassing them, incite to greater attainments. Let there be no fear that there will be too many great men, or men too great. These vast glittering snow-peaks about me find room enough, as well as the mole hills. ‘There is always room at the top,’ for the top is larger than the bottom, as these bending heavens are larger than the earth, and eternity longer than time.
“Would that I could set one of these mountains near Chautauqua and let its grassy base, its wooded slopes, its masses of ore, its glittering crown of glorious light say to every beholder: Here is an object lesson worthy of God’s giving to his child, here is a symbol of the eternal power of the God-head of your Father, here are hints of what his child may be. All things are for all men; whosoever will, let him come and take.