A pleasant account of work done in the interest of the C. L. S. C. has reached our table from Hiawatha, Kansas. A graduate of the class of ’84 it comes from: “I have talked C. L. S. C. to my friends until I have declared that it will soon be necessary for me to get a new tongue. I went to our editor to-day and asked his assistance in spreading the work. He has kindly consented to print whatever we wish. There are many things in The Chautauquan that would enlighten the people concerning the C. L. S. C.—what it is, and what it is doing—but the very ones who most need this information do not take The Chautauquan. By the assistance of our editor we can bring this knowledge to the people. I tell my friends that I can not help being enthusiastic on this subject, because I am an ‘Irrepressible.’ A ‘Pioneer’ and an ‘Invincible’ moved to our town this fall. Beside these we have a few ‘Progressives,’ ‘Pansies,’ and ‘Plymouth Rocks.’ We meet in one of the offices in the court house for our regular meetings—it being a more central point for all—but I invited the circle to my home for a late meeting. I wished to show them the growth of the Persian empire and Alexander’s dominions as pictured on Adams’s ‘Synchronological Chart.’ I bought one this summer at Chautauqua. Since my return I made an easel for the chart of hard pine, open-mortised four cross-pieces, on two of which I fastened the chart, and chamfered the edges. The boards were ‘in the rough’ when I took them, but I smoothed them, sand-papered and oiled them, then blackened the chamfered edges and varnished the easel. Several carpenters have examined my work and all say my joining is perfect and the work well done, and yet I never handled tools until I went to Chautauqua last summer and took instructions.”——A new circle has been organized at Hartford, Kansas. It consists of seventeen members, representing a variety of professions and employments. The work has proven pleasant and profitable to them thus far.
Right glad we are to hear from Nebraska. A breezy letter comes from the circle at York, in which the writer tells us: “We have twenty-four members. We feel quite encouraged when we remember that we began last year with only four. Nearly every meeting adds a new name to our roll. Our members are all enthusiastic and in earnest, preferring to let anything else go rather than miss one ‘C. L. S. C.’ I really think nothing less than a ‘Nebraska blizzard’ or cyclone would keep some of our members away. We pursued the Chautauqua plan of questions and answers last year very successfully, and are proceeding in the same way this year, although our programs vary according to the option of the leader. Each member leads in the order his name stands on the secretary’s roll. In this way the timid ones of our circle are brought out. We usually have written questions on the readings in The Chautauquan; they are either handed to the secretary to be read, or exchanged. We are fortunate in having a professor of our college as a member, and just now he is making the study of chemistry very interesting and pleasant. We certainly do appreciate our C. L. S. C.”
Wyoming Territory is the western limit of our circle travels for February. At Cheyenne, the “J. L. Taylor” circle organized in 1883 has reorganized with a membership of twelve. The secretary writes: “While we are all young people, having many daily duties and cares, our interest in Chautauqua steadily increases, as we feel it broadens our outlook over the world, and draws us nearer and nearer to our ideal of a higher life. We hope to be able to report much good work done in the future—as we feel that we can not stop with only moderate endeavors.”
THE C. L. S. C. CLASSES.
CLASS OF 1885.
“Press on, reaching after those things which are before.”
OFFICERS.
President—J. B. Underwood, Meriden, Conn.