Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-05-30

Inc funeral OF the late Professor
Franklin Clement Robinson of Bow
doin College took place from the Con
gregational Church on the Hill." this
afternoon, Rev. Mr.. Quint, pastor of
the College church officiated and
President William Dewitt Hyde de-
livered the eulogy Besides the rela-
tives and many friends of Professor
Robinson, the faculty and students of
the college attended in body The
faculty and students after the services
at the church marched in double line
to the cemetery and formed a double
line on either side of the carriages
A short service was held at the grave
and then the line marched to the
campus. the faulty leading and the stu
dents following by classes More than
300 viewed the remains.
President Hyde said in part: We
mourn today a common loss; yet to
each of us the loss is different. Great
est of all is the loss of loving husband
and father too great for the rest Of us
even reverently to touch. save in the
assurance of our heartfelt sympathy,
our earnest commendation to the COM
fort of the Heavenly Father
Next to that of kindred is the loss
of colleagues and associates, who
mourn a friend whose sound judgment,
ready helpfulneSs, and genial humor
made the hard tasks we shared with
him seem easy, and almost turned work
frightened by his sunny presence in
to play.
There is the loss of students who
came seeking in their studies a teach
er, and were surprised to find in al
their youthful interests a comrade as
light hearted as themselves. Finally
there is the loss of fellow citizens who
had learned to look to him for leader
ship in all their civic undertakings.
The silent presence of this great
mourning congregation expresses
these different degrees of common loss
better than any words; or if we must
nave vocal expression. the least made
quate is the universal words of Psalm
Gospel and Epstle. the solemn strains
of music, and the deep notes of prayer.
On the other hand, in the immediate
shadow of this great bereavement a
critical estimate l am in no mood to
make nor you to hear. Yet while it is
possible neither to voice our present
grief nor pass our final judgment, we
may draw comfort by bringing into
clear relief a few of the many qualities
which won for our friend the admira-
ton of the public and the affection of
our hearts.
Soul, like body, has three dimensions.
yvhiph ran ct pfh hrna1t "a
and depth: strength to do the thing
you set out to do. no matter what
stands in your way: breadth to snare
the like aims of your fellows; and
depth to enter kindly and lovingly in
to the inner life of our common hu-
manity. Professor Robinson was strong
and broad and kind.
First, he was strong. In some voca-
tions, as war or business, it is easy for
strong man to prove his strength.
For a scholar it is not easy. For the
scholar lives in a world of abstract
concepts and arbitrary symbols utter
ly unlike anything we ever see or hear.
or touch or taste. How can he prove
to other men his strength and win a
reputation? To do so he must meet
one or more of three searching tests.
First there is the judgment of his
fellow scientists. When another mas
ter in the same field, who knows the
problems and the difficulties. looks over
your work and pronounces it good: or
when an impartial technical journal
praises what you have done; then YOU
have proof that your labor has not
been in vain. One word from the
scientific authority. one line in the
technical journal. is worth more than
the applause of q thousand laymen or
columns of favorable notices in the
newspapers. In the reception accord
cd to his contributions to the Ameri-
can Chemical Journal. in his member
shin in the American Association for
The Advancement of Science. the Amer
ican Chemical Society and other scien-
tific bodies, Professor Robinson met
with credit the first and hardest test
the scholar has to pass.
Next to this test of pure scleiice
comes the test Of the expert. can you
take your abstract concepts ana ,heh
arbitrary symbols. translate theii in''
concrete and palpable facts, ana py
their means produce results Which ail
men can see and appreciate. even IL
they cannot follow the processes ps
which the results were reached! Cai
YOU take i'm your hands the life OF the
prisoner at the bar and help the jury
to decide whether he is guilty or iiino'
cent? Can you tell the investor Whe.h-
er mine will pay? Can you Ten
community whether it can drink a CIV
en- water supply with impunity: All.
the family whether a house IN Wh'ci
there has been contagious disease IL
safe2 If yeu can. the world Will trus'
and honor you. even though it has no.
the faintest conception of the processes
upon which these important conciu'
cic,.S roSt Judge hv this test OF the