The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-09-29

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4 lision horq mot her INA this Chris
tian c1itin and pAgS4 subject mat
ter az education. have reinforced In
our civilization the Inherent tendency
of human nature towards lopsided
development. This explains. think
that strange dualism, that quick rise
and fall. that turbid ebb and flow,
which characterize western civjliza-
ltions and sent them In strong con-
trast over against the seemingly an
perturbable peace and stableness Of
China and the old immobile east,
Nothing too much, the motto Of the
famous Deiphic oracle. may be taken
Ito define the mood OF the east---its
poise. the evenness Of its develop
ment and at the same time its lack OF
that generative and regenerative
power which has made the progress
Of western civilization the wonder Of
the world. aN;I
Religion and education have from
the beginning been emblazoned on
the shield OF Trinity college. They
are the ancient watchwords OF the
place; and, in 80 far as l can control
| 1t. the endeavor 81 the college viii
be in the future as It has been In
the past. to promote q religion of all
life and an education that concerns
itself with the whole man. Our chief
aim VIII. believe. always continue
| to be. not primarily to build up here
Ia great educational plant. desirable
as that Is, not to perfect splendid
piece Of educational machinery. use
full as II might be; but to bring forth
fruits in the soundness of mem
soundness of their bodies. their
minds, and their characters. To this
great democratic experiment now be-
ing tried out on this American CONT
nent, full as it Is Of hope and also
full OF perils, we would make our
contribution in men with disciplined
and. as far as may be, invigorated
bodies, with minds trained to think
straight and to think through to
right conclusions, and with both
bodies and minds transformed and
driven by the dynamic power OF char
acter.
Students of Trinity college. men
and women of this hopeful aspiring
generation, If we ever come 10 under
stand the unity and the fullness CT
life we must thereby get higher
conception OF the dignity and essen
tial greatness of mans estate. finer
conception Of the enhancing beauty
and glory OF the physical world in
which we live, and deeper sense of
the inscrutable mystery OF all things.
As conceive them, these are the
three lessons most important for us
TO learn. The first one will make US
feel that life is worth while, that Il
pays to struggle to be the noblest we
can be; that This rage is right In the
main: that acquiescence vain The
second. will make us more in love
with all that is gpd and beautiful,
viii make us sacrediy dedicate our
lives to the finer things OF the mind
and of the spiriti The third will
make US modest. patient. humble,
will cause us to bow our heads in
silence before the awful mysteries Of
life and death, and will lead us TO
seek diligently with tears for every
help. human and divine, that will
guide us through the wilderness OF
the world No one people has ever
at one time been thoroughly sehooled
in these three great lessons OF life.
The Hebrews and the Puritans knew
the first: and the result was a stabil-
ity and righteousness that have been
the salt Of the earth. The Greeks
In their prime and the Italians OF the
Renaissance knew the second and the
result was literature and an art
that have ennobled and glorifed
mankind forever. The mystics OF the
middle ages and the deyouter souls
OF all times have known the third
and the result has been a feeling
after God and uneartnly things that
has saved men from msterialism and
fat despair. II along with our Amer
lean turn for practical affairs and
our Anglo-Saxon stability and sobri.
ety OF judgment We could put intc
our national character these three
lessons that are a part OF compre-
hension OF the fullness OF life-thess
three, higher conception Of the
dignity aud essential greatness 81
mans life, finer perception Of tbs
beauty and glory and poetry OF the
world, and a deeper sense OF the In
scrutable mystery Of all things. v,
should yet have An this country Of
ours the fullest. oompletest and rich
est life ever lived In the world.
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