The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-29

a runaway near the main entrance to Clark hall. A number of eXcitable women rose to leave the building, but were soon quieted.
 Following his announcements Dr. Aber- erombie introduced Dr. Faunce. calling at tention to the fact that the University of Alabama and Brown university were ten derly bound together by virtue of the fact that Ava Woods. first president of the University of Alabama, was at one time professor at Brown university.
 Dr. Faunces address was a scholorly effort, appealing for intellectual and spir- itual growth. His views were broad and liberal in every sense of the word, point ing out in an optimistic vein the great achievements that have been made in the worlds history and showing the need of still higher spiritual development. Dr. Faunce's text was from Isaiah 54:2- 'Lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes" He spoke in part as follows
 "I bring greeting from Brown uni versity to the University of Alabama, for the ties which bind the two institutions together are both cordial and lasting. In addition to being a professor at Brown university before becoming president Of the University of Alabama Ava Woods afterward returned to Rhode Island and was a valued trustee of Brown university for thirty or forty years. His son is even now connected with the institution.
 "There was a time when the struggling Rhode Island college needed your prayers We continue to need your sympathy and support. We want the bonds of union to become ever closer, not only between Brown university and the University of Alabama, but between all northern and southern colleges. If I had my way, every northern college boy would spend while in the south and every southern college boy would spend a while in the north. would also make this rule apply to tho girls. The colleges of this country can not unite too solidly for the cause of edu- cation. We are however, getting closer together all the time and 1t is encoura ging to see the cordial relations being estab lished. Commencement has become time when college professors travel about, par ticipating in the closing exercises of sis ter institutions and forming relations which cannot but prove of great future benefit.
 Refers to Text.
 My text for today apparently offers ad- vice difficult to carry out-'Lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes Broad en your intellectual life, but at the same time do not overlook the fact that this can only be done successfully by driving primary convictions deeper.
 There are two fold needs in this scheme of progress-breadth of apprehen-
 
 ample, we are familiar with the man who is so broad, so liberal and so tolerant in spirit that he covers all subjects and fixes himself on none. Such people make a great noise in the world but accomplish little. They are so broad that they are fiat. There are ages of conviction, just as there are epochs in all other branches of human understanding. There was a. time when the kings touch was deemed an infallible cure for certain human ills. That was the period when the super natural element held sway and people were imbued with supreme confidence in their religion. Gradually ideas have grown and lowered, becoming broader, more kindly and more tolerant, until today we are in danger of becoming spineless. We are either too skeptical or too liberal accepting all creeds and all beliefs.
 Broadened By Travel.
 "Now, there is no better way to broaden our intellectual life than to travel. It Is easy by this means to lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes. The vacation months should be devoted to travel or to some wholesome intellectual | pursuit The idea that student must | rest three months in the year is essen | tially harmful. No man who banks his | can expect to resume his studies in the proper frame of mind. No healthy man needs three months of rest.
 1 Therefore, the vacation season should | be a period of recreation in it's truest sense-a time for building up ones store | of knowledge by new observations. If one | has no money to travel abroad and edu- | cate himself in the customs of alien peo- l pies, the treasures of books are open to | him. He may commune with the great l minds of the ages and travel the wide | world over between the covers of books. History is the most emancipating of l all studies. Nothing broadens the intel | 1ectual life more surely and more rap | idly, hence the Bible, greatest of all his- | tories Is the greatest single educating | force in human history. It made the mar | tyrs and the great religious leaders and | has eXerted a profound influence over 1 the destines of the human race.
 "The Christian man studies, seeking to extend his knowledge of spiritual as | we'll as temporal affairs. It is safe to know all knowledge. All that Is know | able Is for everybody to know. It Is a