dire disaster?” and no one can answer. It seems that a powerful call has been received in another direction, and, to all appear ances, the odds are heavily against 11s—practically overwhelming. There—the attractions of a large church, proximity to a large city, with its peculiar charms for cultured people, also nearness to the oldest and largest university in the country, with its wealth of libraries and equipments; here —as the children say, ‘ ‘ just us. ’ ’ We do not belittle our many advantages as an educational in stitution, but, unfortunately, Dr. Colfelt is not here for an educa tion or we should have something to offer. Looked at from our point of view, the situation is one to make us feel that we have been hardly dealt with if this calamity comes upon us. Why must we loose one who seems to us now to be so vital a part of our college life, in order to enrich a locality already so generously favored in other respects ? We are willing to acknowledge that Cambridge needs our Preacher and would be greatly benefitted if it could secure him, but that is as far as we can go. We have not the heart to contribute so generously to foreign missions. Is there not someone who can present our case for us ? —someone who can persuade Dr. Colfelt that there is no spot on the face of the earth that needs him so much and no spot where he will find so devoted a body of followers as here ? Looking forward to the beginning of a college year without our president seemed indeed like ‘' the play of Hamlet with Ham let left out.” We knew how we should miss his greeting at the opening chapel, and his enthusiastic statement of the boundless possiblities of student life at Pennsylvania State. His faith in the work of the College and his pride in her men has always been so complete that it quickly becomes contagious and seldom fails soon to put a new student in touch with his surroundings. It was, ac cordingly, a most delightful surprise when we found the cham pion friend of the college and all its interests, General Beaver, here to welcome old and new men. And that opening address at the first chapel! Few of us who heard it will ever forget its force. The one thought that more and more the government of a college lies with its student body, and that it rests with us to maintain an unsullied college standard in the absence of our president should be to us what Nelson’s charge—” England expects every man to do his duty ’’—was to the English sailors at Trafalgar. Let every loyal son of State keep this daily in mind. The Free Lance. [October,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers