TH E HESPERIAN.
'88. The Y. M. C. A. tcccntly received a letter from
j Roy Codding, now a missionary in Africa. The following is
an extinct: "Freetown, Sikrra Lronk, Africa, Decern
her H, 1890. Some of you may remember that 1 promised
you a letter from Africa. I am glad to write it now, but it
would have been plcasantcr last j car I suppose, for then I
could have had some idea as to whom I was addressing. I
must say thatl haven't the least idea who is in school now
that I know. A few words about this place. I don't
know whether you know as little about it as I did a year ago
or not, so you will excuse me if I tell you many things which
ycu have long ago known. Sicira Leone ic a British colony
sctttcd by slaves whom England freed something like a
hundred years ago. Some of tlicm came from Nova Scotia,
some from the West Indies and some were taken from slave
ships along the coast. To these arc added the original sett
lers and many who have come in since from neighboring
tribes. It covers an area equal to about two or three counties
in Nebraska, as near as I can tell. Freetown, the- capital,
seaport and only town of any size, has 22,000 inhabitants,
made up of the conglomerate mentioned above. I believe it
is the most religious and at the same time the most wicked
place I ever knew. For a laigc per ccntagc of the people, at
least of the English, speaking population arc church members
but very few of these show any signs of life of being born
again. I think the fault is largely with the clergy, for there
is good reason to believe that many of the pastors nrc
unsaved men. You can readily understand then, why the
churches here, with one or two exceptions, arc doing nothing
for the "regions beyond." Our work, we think, is
up country." We arc still looking toward the Mandigocs,
who dwell from two to five hundred miles cast of here. We
have been kept in Freetown for six months now by the rains
which continue far beyond their schedule time. A big tor
nndo, what Ncbrnskans call a thunder shower, fell this morn
ing. Between Sierra Leone and the Mandingo country aic the
Timnc people. We hope to begin work among them (when
the rain ceases) this coming season, starting a chain of sta
tions through their country. This is our plan unless the
Lord ihal! lead differently. While kept here by the rains wc
have been able to help some of the churches a little and
preach the Word to some of the people. We have also had a
blessed time waiting on our Cod and studying His Word.
Nine of us came. Four have already gone on before.
I have not heard a word about you since my visit there over
a year ago, at least nothing since I left the state in February.
I hope to hear of the state convention by next mail. We
have one, sometimes .two mails a week each way. Mail is
usually about thirty days between here and 'America either
way. One word more. Daily I have occasion to
remember ihosc words of Robert Moffatt, of South Africa,
Livingston's father-in-law, in speaking to young'missionaries
going to Africa, "Patience, patience, patience."
90. The following is an extract from a recent letter from
A. J. McClatchic, from California: "It is pleasant to be in a
land where there is no winter, the tomato vines are yet green
and fruiting in the yard in view from my window, and roses,
geraniums, etc., are blooming in profusion. Oranges are
ripening and being shipped by the train load to Chicago and
other northern cities. I tell you an orange orchard is a
jfc pretty sight at this time of the year. We are locating a con.
" duit line now. I run the level and get along very well for a
novice."
Wm. E. Johnson, a former business manager of The
HESPERIAN, was. in the, city for a few days lpst week. Mr.
Johnson Is in the employ of Funk & Wagnalls, of New York,
'85. Professor A. G. Warner has been appointed super
intendent of charities for the District of Columbia. The
office is administrative with considerable power over the var
ious charitable institutions of the district. The aggregate
expenditures for these institutions during the last year was
$166,000. Professor Warner expects to accept the position
and will go to Washington as soon as the appointment is con
firmed. However, if the duties of the office do not demand
his prcscnccjmmcdiatcly, he will remain in'charge'of the
department of political economy the remainder of the school
year. TheMoss'of lProfessor Warner will be deeply felt by
his many fricnds'Jicrc and by the University, though she may
be proud of having one of her sons appointed to this position
that he is'soVcllqualificd to fill.
'90. F. Woods'was" recently reported married, but it was
a false alarm. Wc callcdon Mr. Woods who said that by
request he had acted asbiidegroom in amock Chinese mar
riage at an entertainment showing the customs of the Chi
nese. Hc.did not think the vows were binding as his lady
deserted him'soon after the cciemony was performed. Lest
his chances may be injured he wishes it distinctly understood
that he is still single.
Llewellyn Bryan, formtily of '91, came down (rom.the.
Black Hills a few days ago to spend" a brief vacation among
old college friends. "Lew" denies emphatically that he saw
any Indians. Says they didn't get ncur enough to him to be
seen.
A SOPHOMORIAN WAIL.
A student of the U. of N. lay dying on his cot; theic was
none of woman's nursing, but of grief there was a lot. His
room-mate knelt beside him, as his pard prepared to "croak, r
while the patient smole a weary smile, in feeble tonc he
spoke: "Old boy I'll never stay up late, while trying hard
to nam, in order to be in it," when the time comes for exam.
Take this message to my classmates, and I do not mean to
boast, but I hope that they will heed it, when I've "given up
the ghost." I have been in this old Uni. nioie than thiee
long years, and the way they've "soaked it on me," ir.
enough to bring the tears. But I've managed by hard study
yet to stay upon the bench, and I never, never "ponied," till
I struck that soph'more French. Then it was the tempter
caught me, "caught me foul" as I might say, and from that
time till the present, I have "ponied" every day. But I'm
weak what mortal is not and my spirits tend to droop, and
I rcalire quite plainly that I'm slipping "in the soup." Tell
them roommate tell them frankly, tell them every word I've
said, let them read it, make them heed it, when "I'm num
bered with the dead." Overcome by his emotions, which he
could control no moie, the soft-heaited loommate fainted, and
sank down upon the floor. When they found him there next
morning, looking like a mertal wreck, they discovered that
his loommate had already "cashed his check."
The slate-bearer stalks through tho hall.
Ho meotH you whorever you go.
If ho shovos tho elato under your novo,
"Ilavo courngo ray hoy to ay no."
Vor It's folly to ocrutch it ut all.
When you dare uot ak her, you know;
For she'll sec tho sltto and get mad,
And swear with you never to go.
So, my hoy. unless you've tho gall
To bhIc her if with you nho'11 go,
You'd bettor st our clear of the slato-boarln? man,
And "have conrago, my boy, to say no."
JVfanley still has the cream of-the candy trade
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