60
The University Courier.
LITERARY.
AN ORDINARY FELLOW.
Henry Wilson and I were classmates at the University, both members of the Freshman class. He was not a fellow who would attract much attention. He was a faithful student but painfully self-conscious and awkward. One need but glance at him to know he came from the country, and had rubbed against the world very little. At first I, like the majority of the students, paid little attention to him. I thought him a raw country youth, and a very commonplace one at that.
But it happened in the second half of the year that I was assigned a seat next to him in the class-room. Here I met him every day and of course came to know him better than before. I found him at first very reserved and quiet. I soon discovered that his reserve was due more to the sense of his pure awkwardness and deficiencies than anything else, and when he found I was ready to meet him half way he thawed out and we soon became good friends.
University work went on for several months. I became more and more attached to my new friend Wilson. I found that beneath his rough exterior was a true and sterling character. He was, much of the time when with me, a jolly, agreeable fellow, although at times he appeared depressed and downcast. By degrees I learned something of his early life. His father lived on a little farm in the southern part of the state. By hard work they had accumulated enough to buy their little home several years before, but a failure in crops had occurred and they were compelled to place a mortgage on it. Henry had offered to remain at home and help pay off the mortgage but his father knowing his earnest desire for a thorough education declined, and although he was too poor to aid his son financially he encouraged Henry in his efforts to earn enough to spend several years at the University. After a year or so had passed, Henry at last by hard work had accumulated enough to pay his way, by using economy, for three years at the University.
One morning I met Henry as usual at the door of the class-room. By his manner I saw something had happened him. He detained me a moment and said he wished to see me after class. When the class was dismissed we got our hats and walked slowly down the hill. "Charley, old boy," he said after we had gone a ways, "I have decided to leave school." "What!" I exclaimed, "Leave school, the term only half over, after you have worked all these years in order to come! Why you are crazy."
"No Charley, not crazy, my duty lies elsewhere, and however much I want an education and a higher place in life, I must give them up. You know there is a mortgage on our little farm. Well, yesterday I learned that unless something was done immediately our home must go. Neither father nor mother have said a word to me about it. They want me to go to school and will suffer anything rather than have me come home. But I have decided where my duty lies. I shall go home, pay part of the mortgage and then take care of my parents. They are getting a little old and they need me." He paused, then turned around and took a long look at the University buildings which towered on Mount Oread.
I was silent. What could I say? I felt he did right, yet I knew what it cost him and what it meant for the future. It meant the blotting out of all these dreams of a better and more complete life; it meant a life of drudgery and isolation in a remote farming community where a spirit such as Henry's is hampered, and has its life crushed by the monotonous round of labor.
I helped him pack up his few belongings and accompanied him to the train. His departure made no stir in University circles; in fact his going was hardly noticed, even by his instructors. Nevertheless I in my boyish way felt that Henry had done a noble act, nor did I doubt that when the final balancing of accounts came Henry would receive a recompense for the sacrifice he made of his youth and life hopes.
EXGHANGES.
The English Department of S. U. I. have added a two hours' debating course to the course of study.
The Princeton Tiger, the Drury Mirror and the M. S. U. Tiger are welcome additions to our exchange list.
Missouri held her State Oratorical Contest at Sedalia, March 30. Central College won first place and the State University second. The title of the winning oration is "The Philosophy of Inequality."
The Universities of Wisconsin and Minnesota held a joint debate in Madison April 20. The debate, which was on the immigration question, was won by Wisconsin. Prof. Small, who recently lectured at K. U., was one of the judges.
If the K. S. N. S. Lyceumite, sick with the mumps, can stand on the threshold of victory what could a well one do?State Normal Quarterly.
Don't know, but he might get a swelling in his head instead of his neck.
The State University papers have at last taken up the cudgels in reply to the numerous attacks that have been made by the daily and college press for the action of their students at the State Oratorical Contest. These reports have in many instances been grossly exaggerated. While it was the K. U. students who were the chief factors in the row, by means of their waving of the stolen banner, yet it was the action of students of other colleges in trying to take it away from them that precipitated the fuss. The affair was disgraceful and ought never to have happened, yet is by no means fair to place all the blame on K. U.-Cooper Courier.
University Extension comes to us this month with some very suggestive articles. "German Experience in teaching Literature," "Extension Teaching and Public Health," "The Position of the University Extension Scheme in the System of Education," are productions worthy the attention of all students. It also has the following regarding extension work in Kansas:
"Extension work in Kansas seems to be meeting with a fair degree of success and to be regarded with increasing favor. The demand is still along special lines of work, as indicated by the following schedule of the lectures given during the present academic year.
UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. Lecturer. Attendance. Enrolled for Credits.
Atchison . . . C. G. Dunlap . . . 225 5 7 12
Iola . . . E. M. Hopkins . . . 60 18 22 40
Kansas City, Mo . . . F. H. Snow . . . 1000 45 30 75
Kansas City, Kas . . . C. G. Dunlap . . . 300 36 40 76
Kansas City, Kas . . . F. W. Blackmar . . . 250 25 15 40
Kansas City, Kas . . . C. G. Dunlap . . . 20 9 11 20
Kansas City, Mo . . . E. M. Hopkins . . . 200 11 9 20
Kansas City, Mo . . . L. I. Blake . . . 300 35 15 50
Lawrence . . . C. G. Dunlap . . . 125 15 25 40
Lawrence . . . F. W. Blackmar . . . 100 8 6 14
Lawrence . . . L. I. Blake . . . 300 43 16 59
Leavenworth . . . L. I. Blake . . . 200 31 9 40
Leavenworth . . . C. G. Dunlap . . . 175 10 20 30
Leavenworth . . . O. Templin . . . 225 15 10 25
Totals... 3280 ... 306 ... 225 ... 541
Besides these regular Extension courses, several courses of popular lectures have been given, as well as many single lectures, in the more remote parts of the State. The principal new feature is the increasing interest manifested by the teachers of the public schools in the Extension movement. They are beginning to realize that the work may be of great and lasting benefit to them. At a joint meeting of the Northeast and Southeast Teachers' Associations, held at Lawrence, April 5-7, a considerable time was devoted to the discussion of the "Relation of University Extension to the Public Schools." At a meeting of the Kansas Academy of Language and Literature, held at Topeka, April 12 to 14, Professor Blackmar presented the plan and accomplishment of University Extension."