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the Library of the Academy, and, astonished, in ni}' jo} T , I roamed 

 at will and fastened as I wished on the books that crowned the 

 walls. But another step was wanted. I could not handle the 

 rare treasures locked in the museum cases. I could but flatten 

 my nose against the panes in my efforts to see the specimens. 

 One auspicious morn, however, the kej'S were given me, and now 

 at last I could touch and handle and taste to my heart's content. 

 It seemed as though the veritable keys of knowledge had been 

 put in m} r possession, and I had but to walk in and pluck the 

 golden fruits of the orchard. 



There comes to me to-day also a vision of the future. I see no 

 longer the homely face of the old Academy, beautified by the 

 thoughts of its usefulness and by the glamour of old association. 

 A new building rises before me, higher and wider in its scope, 

 grander and nobler in its architecture, than the old building that 

 we love, but yet cold and barren in its very newness. 



It is to realize this vision that we are here to-day. It is to 

 witness the first beginning of the new life of our loved institution 

 that we are assembled. The trustees, in their faith rather than 

 in their knowledge, in their weakness rather than in their strength, 

 have gone forward, and it rests with the citizens of Philadelphia 

 to decide what measure of success shall crown their efforts. 



I know that there are some who see but little value in the study 

 of natural science ; who in their folly cry out Cui bono ? With 

 such to-day I will not pause to reason ; if the noonday blaze of 

 this the nineteenth century cannot penetrate the thickness of their 

 intellectual darkness and prejudice, what could the rushlight of 

 my best efforts do ? I can only say with reverent feeling, God 

 pity the man and God help the nation that, blinded by its avarice 

 for present material gain, can see no place for the quiet student 

 of God's work. 



See yon orchard, with its golden fruit of plenty. Could it be 

 foreseen, or did the little rootlet know, that, working so silently 

 and yet so faithfully in the darkness under ground, it was prepar- 

 ing for such a bounteous harvest ? So it is with the scholar in 

 his quiet room; in his most abstruse and apparently most profit- 

 less study, he is gathering the knowledge, the power, that per- 

 haps other men shall ripen into the richest material fruit. 



There has been made recently, in this city, and indeed there is 

 still being made, an effort to put the University of Pennsylvania 



