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4 w - Wilfc.
An Oration.
SPILLER,
IME in his matchless flight goes on; years come and go.
Men spring into the arena of action, last but a short
time, then fade away; some to sink into oblivion, others to
leave names upon history’s pages that years of trial and tu
mult cannot efface. Each year, as it rolls by, sees some of
the men at the head of affairs pass away, and soon they must
one by one answer that summons “which no man can shun.”
Then upon us, the young men and boys of today, will fall
the responsibility of the government. Oh, what a responsi
bility rests upon us! Shall we be equal to the task? is the
question which presents itself to us. If we would we must
now prepare ourselves. We must now lay the foundations
upon which to build our character. Let these foundations be
deep and firm, for character is the chief essential of success.
We are influenced in this work to a certain extent by our
surroundings.
The great trouble with the world today is to show, as
has been said, “the desire to ‘seem’ rather than to ‘be,’ is
the great crime which this age, as well as all other ages, must
deplore.” We are too apt to judge a person by what he
seems to be rather than by what he really is. There are
people in our country today who are worthless to our notion;
they parade before the world as great beings, and in show
and surface they seem such; but when robbed of their silken