Correspondence.

To the Editors of the Archive:

All of your readers ought to feel interested in the erection of the proposed new building which you mentioned in the December number of the Archive. No one will question the necessity of such a building. The only trouble now arises from a lack of funds. This seems strange when we look over the list of Alumni, who could furnish the money with little, if any, inconvenience to themselves. There are one hundred Trinity graduates in North Carolina to-day who could give fifty dollars without having to borrow the money. We are indebted to our Alma Mater for a great measure of our success, and I think we have at this peculiar time a rare opportunity of making a substantial demonstration of our gratitude. I offer this plan to your readers: Let one hundred Alumni send in their names and pledge themselves to the amount of fifty dollars, to be paid as soon as the hundredth man’s name is received. I am ready to give my name.

Yours very truly,

Alumnus.

To the Editors of the Archive:

Soon after Conference I was conversing with a minister in high standing in our State, and during the conversation he spoke these words: “Every preacher

in North Carolina who heard President Crowell’s Report, thinks that Trinity has got the biggest man in the State.” This did me good—much good. Still, I should not be altogether satisfied to know that you had but one man in Trinity. I have heard just as many good things about the Faculty and their untiring efforts. The boys, too, have done their part this session. I have had the good fortune to be at the College once or twice since the new administration began. I can safely say (and I don’t mean to disparage the former order of things) that a new life exists around old Trinity. I met many of my old friends; they seemed glad to see me, but did not have time to talk much with me. They were busy. Such administration as that needs no comment. I am glad to see that the two societies have consolidated the Libraries, and that they are determined to put up a new building. Every Alumnus who doesn’t send some money to help you all out in this matter ought to be ashamed of himself. It would be worth fifty dollars to every old Trinity boy to see that fine building every Commencement. If all the Alumni would club together and come to the rescue, it would be as easily built as an air castle. I am not making much money, but I am willing to give ten per cent. of what I make until I see the project completed, if I am encouraged by all the brethren. Some

time soon I will tell you the impressions made upon me by my second visit to Trinity. For the present, enough has been said.

A Trinity Boy.

50HOLIDAYS.

ON ARRIVING AT HOME.

The old homestead looms into view. How sweet the dear old salutations sound! The hackneyed sound of the college bell has been transformed into the lovely echoes of a sister’s voice. The grim countenances of college professors are, in our minds, readily replaced by the piercing glances and approving smiles of lovely maidens. The dark pages of textbooks give way to the cheery bonfires of Christmas Eve. Our boyhood days flash into renewed existence, and we seem to live over again the scenes of our childhood. We are wafted back on the wings of imagination to the time when, long before we had heard of college, we used to hang our stockings by the chimney and await with impatience the coming of Santa Claus. O that we could all live and die without learning too much of this kind old man! This “ignorance is bliss.” We are again in the family circle; the benevolent face of the father is before us; the tender words of a loving mother sound again in our ears. But in this time of great rejoicing we pause and say, May God bless the Christmas of

our kind faculty, who so willingly granted us the great privilege of spending Christmas at home.

CHRISTMAS IS OVER.

Although joyful was Christmas, and although charming were its scenes, the flying moments could not be either lengthened or checked. The great wheel of time continuing to turn has carried us from the jolly days of Christmas into the calm days which always follow. If to see friends, if to be with loved ones, if to eat turkey, if to have a good time, is a big Christmas, we can say that, if possible, we have had more than our share. Although we have been greatly refreshed and invigorated for the work of the ensuing term, yet, so pleasant was our stay at home that we are led to approve the sentiment of the old darkey, who said:

“Oh! what a blessin’ it would ‘a’ been,

If Santa had been born a twin;

For then we’d ‘a’ had two Chrismusses a year,

And prob’bly one would ‘a’ settled here.”

But, recognizing the fact that pleasure is always sweetest when it follows duty well performed, we readily loose our moorings, and with purer motives, with nobler aims, set sail for our summer vacation.

R. R.

Letters from Trinity’s Alumni are invited. If you would like to hear from a college friend of days long gone by, a few lines in the Archive might reach his eye.

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