Newspaper Page Text
THE CAMPUS MIRROR
7
EXPERIENCES ALONG
THE CONGO
(Continued from Page 1)
of the French Congo. She named a list of sub
ject- she had studied because she had been ad
vised by her teachers that such subjects would
help her in the work she hoped to do.
September of 1889 found Miss Howard teach
ing in Atlanta at the Summer Hill School,
now called the E. P. Johnson School. She had
accepted her position with the understanding
that she would be released whenever the Board
of Foreign Missions should be ready to use her.
During the summer vacation of 1889 she went
to Boston, passed the examinations required of
missionaries, and received her appointment from
the American Baptist Foreign Missionary So
ciety. When the notice to sail came Miss How
ard resigned her teaching position and began
to make final preparations for going to Africa.
In The Atlanta Constitution, dated February
17, 1890, there was a full account of the conse
cration service held at Spelman Seminary for
Miss Howard. Dr. H. L. Morehouse, in the
chief address of the day, gave some of the
history of the Congo Mission—how the work
had been begun by the English nation and later
turned over to the American Board of Missions.
One missionary had already gone from Shaw
University, Miss Nora Gordon had gone from
Spelman. and now a second Spelman student was
ready for her consecration service. Miss Giles
spoke of Miss Howard’s training, in high com
mendation, and stated in closing, “She goes to
take charge of a school of about 100 pupils.
We shall miss dear Clara as we have missed
Nora in the past, but we rejoice that God counts
Spelman worthy to use her daughters in His
service in heathen lands.”
The following from Miss Howard’s response,
was given in the same article of the Atlanta
Constitution :
The audience was pleased when the young
missionary took her place on the platform. She
is a tall finely formed young woman. She said:
“When I came to this school nine years ago, it
did not occur to me that I should be chosen to
go to Africa. When I look over the past years
I see that the Lord has done wonderful tilings
for me and as long as I live my prayers will
be offered up daily for the teachers of this
school.”
The young missionary then said that she ex
pected a hard life, and that it was only after a
hard struggle that she had been able to make
up her mind to leave her home and all she held
dearest.
Miss Howard’s close relations with the school
made her farewell at Spelman especially im
pressive.
When she reached Boston, preparatory to sail
ing, another farewell service was held at the
church of Dr. A. J. Jordan, the author of the
hymn, “My Jesus I Love Thee.” She sailed
from Boston, May 3, 1890, accompanied by Miss
Rachel Leeds of Pennsylvania.
“In those days," said Miss Howard, “one
could not get a ship just any time. Sometimes
one had to wait months for a ship going where
he wanted to go. Our first stop was in London
where we had to wait two months for a ship
bound for the Congo. While waiting I had the
opportunity to study tropical diseases at the
London Hospital and also the language of the
French Congo. We knew we should not have
A DREAM
(Continued From Page 5)
tions have and are not even able to lay hold upon
your own appetites after having three meals pre
pared for you daily.”
Before they had any time to tell me whether
or not they saw the principle of the whole
situation I was discussing the whole question
from another viewpoint. I asked them if they
had stopped to consider the food value of bare
soda crackers. I said to them, “Why not ask
the officials of your schools to take that money
that’s put aside for soda cracker-buying and give
it to the boarding department in order that
bigger and better meals be properly served to
you?” Evidently they had forgotten the essen
tials of a school girl’s diet. They had not
thought to remember their early lessons received
from their home economics teachings. Not one
of them had paused long enough to consider the
constituents of soda crackers, which are—white
flour, a very little leaven, salt and water.
As I left dreamland and those awakening
young college ladies, I felt that they would re
turn to their colleges and very soon get the
whole student-body to feeling and realizing that
there were more essential things to life than soda
crackers and that the ability to control appe
tites would fit them for bigger and nobler things
in life.
in Africa all the foods we would need; so we
collected in London such food supplies as we
could take along. You know the African native
does not use money. Instead he uses “barter
goods,” such as handkerchiefs, knives, shells and
beads, and so we had to provide ourselves with
some of these things. During the rest of the
two months we visited many places of interest
in England and on the continent. On the way
to Havre, France, from which place we were
to sail, we had a two days’ visit in Rotterdam.
“It was a great joy to be on ship again, this
time bound directly for Africa. From Havre
to Africa was a three weeks voyage. On the
way, the ship stopped for supplies at the Madeira
Islands and the passengers were allowed to go
ashore in this beautiful place.”
At the end of the three weeks on sea, and
eleven weeks after she had left Boston, Miss
Howard arrived at Banana, a town, at the mouth
of the Congo River. This mission had been
organized ten years before by Mr. T. H. Hoste,
an Englishman who was still there as superin
tendent of the school. Miss Howard found
plenty to do and readily adapted herself to her
surroundings. At first she could only speak to
natives with the aid of an interpreter. The
French Congo is a very difficult language, but
alter eight months Miss Howard did not need
the interpreter but could converse directly with
the natives. Besides teaching the hundred
pupils at the mission, she traveled around teach
ing in the villages and singing with the accom
paniment of a portable organ. The natives
gathered to hear about the new wonderful God,
from the foreigner who knew so much.
It was interesting to hear Miss Howard re
call her experiences, speaking in the French
Congo language and translating it to English
with a vividness that made her visitors feel the
places and the situations.
(Continued Next Month)
UNWRITTEN RECORDS
(Continued From Page 5)
worm. Last semester she was even afraid to
touch one.
I know Sarah Cowings will become more in
telligent this semester concerning dormitory
rules and regulations, for her roommate Julia
Hatcher is an ideal example of all she should
not do.
We Freshmen certainly have become a part
of the college activities. Did you notice the non
chalance which Josephine Harreld displayed at
the college social? It was amazing. Why, it
can be compared to that calm self-possession
of Gertrude Hudson at one of the football
games last semester.
I shall be glad when this semester is over,
so that I can see who will win the sleeping
contest in class, between Henrietta Shivery and
Eva Dawson. I think that this semester they
will find keen competition with Muriel Allen;
but they need expect no trouble from Florine
Swinger for she takes her naps before she comes
to class, even though it does often make her
late.
You know I am just wondering what will
become of some of us Freshies when our college
life is finished. Personally I think Mozelle
Warner would do well to enter the circus as an
acrobat. Mable Clayton, Ruth McGlockton, and
Emma McLin will have to pull straws for the
place in the comics as a double for “Butter-
Cups. ” We are all expecting to hear the lovely
voices of Mabel Hillman, Evelyn Pittman and
Sarah Blocker over the radio from Station
N-O-T. Perhaps we may be fortunate (or
unfortunate) enough to hear of Frankie Brester
Butler’s supplanting some physical education
teacher as instructor in the art of marching.
All of us have seen evidences of her talent in
“Gym class. But I surely want to be present
when Camilla Davis accepts her position as
Hall Mother. She is well acquainted with all
the affairs, campus news, rules, regulations, and
requirements. I am positive Janie Banks has
chosen lectures in Biology as her profession.
She tried out for the position recently by volun
tarily taking charge of the class.
Oh, ye F reshmen! Tell me! Can it be
true ?