Running Away to School
By D. C. BABCOCK
As I travel through the Sierra Leone hinterland, I find almost everywhere a desire on the part of the people for us to establish schools. They know about our industrial school work at Waterloo, and like it. A young man, son of a chief, ran away from his father. He was heir to the chieftaincy. Learning of our school, he walked one hundred and fifty miles and asked for admittance. After some talk, we decided to receive him. We did not know who he was. He went into training, learning a trade. At the same time we taught him the Bible, and in about six or seven months he seemed to be rooted and grounded in the truth. When the Duke of Connaught visited Sierra Leone among the chiefs who came in from the interior was Bia-Kafri. I happened to be on the same train with the district commissioner, and fell into conversation with him. He said, “Did you ever meet Bia-Kafri?” I said, “No.” “That man,” he said, “is probably the most loyal chief the English government has.” A few days after this conversation, notice came to me that Chief Bia-Kafri was coming to visit me. I asked the young man Tura, at our school, if he knew Chief Bia-Kafri. He said, “Yes; he is my father.” I inquired concerning the custom when a chief makes a visit, and Tura told me. He said he knew his father was coming that day. In a short time I noticed a large delegation some distance away, among them the chief. I walked down to meet him and his people, giving the customary greeting. After we had talked over our school work, we showed him a picture of his son working in the factory. Before he left, he said, “I want you to come to my village and open work there. I am greatly pleased with the work you have done with my son here.” His son has returned to his tribe. He married in the Christian religion, and is living in his native village among his people. D. C. BABCOCK.