Fisk University. He afterwards told me that he could not conceal his
surprise at what he saw and heard and only with difficulty his emotion
when he arose to address the students.

I have now visited Fisk several times. I am each time more impressed
with the fidelity and quality of the work on the part of the students,
and the patient enthusiasm of the professors and of the teachers. If
there were to be no other or greater results than those of the past and
the present, all that has been done for Fisk University would be
justified.

* * * * *

From Nashville to Sparta, Tenn., and then a rough, tough ride up the
mountain side, "rattling the bones over the stones" until at length we
have climbed the Cumberland Plateau. We arrive at no-where in
particular, which is named Pleasant Hill. Here are a neat church, which
is both church and school, and a sightly building of two stories with a
third under the mansard roof, which will accommodate forty boys. A few
houses are visible from the top of this building, but no one could guess
where forty mountain boys and as many girls might be living.
Nevertheless they have been discovered, and it was none too soon.
Missionary Dodge did not locate in Pleasant Hill before the time. He
realized this. He looked about him and looked up and down. He saw things
which were invisible. He saw castles in the air. It must be confessed
that the office at Reade Street, fearing lest it might "trust the
churches" too much, had not the faith which could take hold of these
castles in the air and anchor them to the soil of Pleasant Hill; but
Brother Dodge got his grapples out and pulled down a church building
from the heavens. Well done; now surely he should rest from his labors
and give himself and us time to breathe. No; a visible church only
stimulated his faith, it did not satisfy it. This church was a place in
which he could read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews every Sunday. The
result was the "Hall" for young men and for the teachers. Now we are in
it and are glad. The Massachusetts Principal gave us welcome, the
Oberlin Vice-Principal endorsed it, while the Matron materialized the
spirit of welcome in a way calculated to excite gratitude, from the fact
that missionaries cannot live absolutely on faith.

Next the young men were introduced. One of them was seized with
undisguised curiosity to behold a minister whose theological system some
institution had found it n