JUL Y,

1 9 0 6

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Commencement¿

URING the month just past the schools have been holding both closing and commencement exercises. When a student completes a course of study in a college or university he or she is ready for commencement, to begin real life, to go forth to apply to affairs the theories and principles which they have been conning for a few years with the aid of books and teacher.

It is indeed a commencement, although he says he has finished his education. As a matter of fact he is not yet educated at all. His diploma shows that he has been instructed along certain basic lines. Now he is to apply this instruction and thus become educated, unfolded in power and capacity.

Sometimes young graduates think they know a great deal more than others. This delusion is rudely dissipated, however, the first time they run up against one who has what he knows from practice, has been trained in the school of experience. The lawyer who knows human nature will win over the one who knows only the law.

In June we had a very pleasant experience. I had not attended a commencement occasion since I graduated from the Missouri University. So Mrs. B., Ralph and I went. I wished Ralph to have an introduction to the place where he is to go by and by to finish his edu

cation after he gets through the High School here.

We all had a most enjoyable time. Friends met us at the station of the beautiful, flowery woodland college town and took us to their home, the home of Dr. Ames, one of the Professors in the University. (I will explain here that at a great university the title "Doctor" does not mean one who gives drugs, or pulls teeth, or preaches.) Dr. Ames is a Ph. D., doctor of philoso

phy. He and his lovely wife, my cousin Linnie, made our visit a most delightful one.

The Baccalaureate sermon was preached by Bishop Talbot of Pa., who recognized me in the audience as an old acquaintance and came to me afterwards. This was very pleasant. His sermon was broad and eloquent and full of helpful thoughts. It was entirely free from all the little sect follies of earlier days. It had much new thought in it.

After the sermon I went around on the rostrum

and ran up face to face with two of the professors to whom I used to recite. One of them hugged me right before everybody and said, "God bless you, Abe; I am so glad to see you." The other would say every time he met me, "You don't know how glad I am to see you." One old school mate, a son of Major Rollins, one of Missouri's grandest men, said, "I saw you in the audience and first said to myself, 'That's Barton.' Then I said, 'No, Barton is an older man than that."" Then he added, "I am delighted to see you. All of my recollections of you are very pleasant."

All of this made me happy. Would it not you?

I wandered about the familiar campus and the great buildings with childish delight, meeting old acquaintances and being introduced to new ones. Ralph has given you in the accompanying sketches a glimpse of part of the grounds. There are many great buildings on a beautiful campus of 400 acres of ground.

We had other addresses, the awarding of degrees to the many graduates and conferring of the honorary title of LLD. on Gov. Folk and two others. Then we, the Alumni, about 300 of us, gave a grand banquet. It continued from 1 to 5:30 p. m. We had speeches by Gov. Folk, President Jesse, Dr. Schweitzer and others. While only graduates and guests of honor were admitted, our rules permitted us to bring our wives. So Mrs. B. was with me and we enjoyed it all immensely. Ralph could not come in, but he said he did not wish to. Ralph is naturally inclined to avoid crowds of people.

We also visited Stephens Baptist College where Mrs. B. graduated the same year I did at the University. It is in the same town, Columbia. The school there had closed a week before, but some of the teachers lingered yet.

One day Ralph and I took a stroll out on the "Classic Hingston" where I had so often climbed the bluffs

and skipped flat stones on the water, and he and I did the same things. The great stone cliffs and trees, the gravelly bottoms of the clear, rippling stream, the circling, soaring turkey buzzards with nests in the rocks, seemed the same as of yore. We enjoyed it all greatly.

It was very helpful as a rest, a reminiscent return to former days, a refreshing and recreation, a renewing of old friendships, a reintroduction to my alma mater.

During the school year just closed there were 2,000 students enrolled, 500 of whom were women. What a change here! They used to think that women did not have brains enough to take the University Course. You get an idea of what it means to win a diploma from this University when I tell you that the highest graduation degree given in the colleges and best high schools of the state admit the holder to enter the lowest (freshman) class in the University. The first woman to be awarded the regular academic diploma in our University was a member of my class. She is a teacher now in the Manual Training High School of this city. This year the class valedictorian was a woman. This is an honor awarded the one having the highest scholarship in the graduating class. We are glad women have so grandly won their way to their rightful position by the side of their brothers. The days when woman was regarded as either a plaything and luxury, or a slave and brood animal, are past.

We all came home much refreshed and lifted up and our memory is stored with many fresh and pleasing recollections. While there we talked some of bygone days, of school boy pranks, in which dear Gene Field had a large part, of our trials and our pleasures, of our lessons and our sweethearts. Bless them all.

Was all this profitable? What do we mean by profitable? Ordinarily it means gain in money. But

sometimes that which is profitable financially is not good for the person.

We talk much about Science thought and Science conduct as distinct from ordinary thought and conduct. In this we often make mistakes. We condemn that which is natural and wholesome because it belongs to the "mortal mind" mode of living. Yet it may not be discarded from our lives with impunity.

Some divide things thus: Science,-going into the silence, treating, blessing things in word, smiling when it hurts, saying that is true which does not appear to be a fact, declaring oppositely in the face of common sense, denying appearances, refraining from ordinary pleasures and trying generally to be different from ordinary mortals.

Not Science,-everything else.

I have given you a text in the little story of our visit and from it purpose preaching you a sermon. My theme naturally divides itself into four parts:1. Outing and Change.

4. Thoughts which abide and grow.

1. It is not necessary for me to argue that outings and change are good for all of us. This is universally admitted. But why? To prevent grooves in brain and nerve action. To allow restoration of substance and force in one part while other unused parts are brought into activity. To get different elements in food, air and water for the body. To see new objects, thus stirring up lagging brain cells and starting sluggish currents in the life centers. To enter new and refreshing spheres of interest and moral being among people. All this is good for Scientists as well as for others. Its lack cannot be supplied by sitting in the silence and holding thoughts.