The age-herald., 1900-05-28
WORDS OF WISDOM
 TO GIRL GRADUATES
Two Commencement Sermons a
 First Methodist Church.
BOTH ABLE DISCOURSES
Dr. McFerrin Addressed Pupils of Bir- mingham Seminary and Dr. Du- Bose ofNashville Students
 of Pollock Stephens

Yesterday was marked by two school commencement sermons at the First Meth odist church. At tho morning service the principal, teachers and pupils of the Birm- ingham seminary were present in body, and the pastor, the Rev Dr. McFerrin, de- ivered able discourse. The advice he gave was intended for the graduating girls, but the sermon was listened to with keen interest by the large congregation It was indeed one of pr. McFerrin's finest efforts
 In the afternoon at o'clock one hundred and forty or fifty pupils of the Pollock Stephens institute, dressed in white and wearing sashes of red, white and red being the institute colors, marched into the church and were seated in body. Mrs. E. T. Taliaferro the principal was at their head
 After the introductory services, which in- cluded several musical numbers, artistic ally sung by the Southside Baptist church quartette, the Rev. pr. H. M. Dubose of Nashville preached a sermon of rare fit- ness and poetic beauty. The sermon was really in the form of an oration The speaker chose for his text, or texts, for there were two, these words: "Wisdom hath builded her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars ''-Proverbs 9:1. And they that were ready went in with him." Matthew 25:10.
 Dr. Dubose began by short but eloquent discussion of the wisdom of Solomon, the proverb maker, embelishing his remarks with parallels from architecture. build ing such as the wise man had in mind was the symbol of wisdom in wis dom was fittingly embodied.
 Dr. Dubose then took for his practical theme Ruskins seven lamps of architecture. He reminded the fair young students who were about to leave school that in build ing their houses of wisdom the first pillar should be that of life. Many persons, he safd enter life without true conception of life. The speaker pointed out the good that came from sympathy with nature Every one should cultivate nature and should be natural
 The second pillar, he continued, should be that of truth. After that should come the pillar of love. Then in succession the pill lar of memory, the pillar of reverence, the pillar of obedience and the pillar of sacri- flee.
 pr. Dubose in choicest rhetoric, dwelt on each of the pillars or lamps. For truth he pointed to the Bible as the source of all wisdom and other good books gave, he said, much in the way of truth The speaker did not think much of the literature of today He said that girls who read the books now coming from the press would have empty heads and hearts full of the dust of the apples of Sodom. He made plea for the classics and for all the good and pure lore of the past.
 Dr. Dubose spoke rapidly for an hour and five minutes, and if his words of counsel be needed every girl graduate" who heard them will go forth in life equipped for it's trials and responsibilities. His oration teemed with stories from mythology, meta phor, poetry and allegory, as we'll as lessons from Holy Writ.
 The audience, one of the largest and most cultured ever assembled in the First church, was spell-bound.