Light for the Line, THE SOUTH AFRICAN CHURCH RAILWAY MISSION MAGAZINE, No. LXLX.. Q uarterly. JULY, 1923. 21- per.annum, 2/6 p o s t f r e e . South Hfrican Cburcb IRaüwaç ílbíssíon. Office of the Mission: Diocesan Office, Grahamstown. STAFF. The Rev. Canon R. Thornely Jones, M.A. P.O. Box 133, Grahamstown. Reverend C. W. Stenson-Stenson.... .... Poste Restante, Bulawayo. Reverend A. C. Hobson, M.A.......... S. Augustine’s Vicarage, Kimberley. Reverend E. D. Smith The Parsonage, Naauwpoort. Reverend G. H. Thome ___ Alicedale. Miss M. Porter ___ St. Monica’s Home, Queenstown. Miss Norah Short .... .... 2, Cuyler Crescent, Port Elizabeth. Miss J. Batcham .... 78, Douglas Street, Bloemfontein. Reverend E. Herbert .... Waterval Boven, Transvaal. Native Catechist: David Mjezu. Hon. Editor and Children’s Secretary : Miss Muriel Blundell, Box 133, Grahamstown. London Office: South African Room, Church House, Westminster, S.W. Hon. Secretary in England: Miss Mary B. Attlee, Westcott, Twyford, Winchester, 2 . LIGHT FOR THE LINE. LIGHT FOR THE LINE. time on the voyage and were feeling better for the rest and change which the trip pro­ Subscriptions, 2/- per annum, 2/6 post vides. Their letters of course, at this time free, can be paid to the Editor or to any of of the year, are full of the joyous beauty of the Mission Staff or Local Agents, or sent to the Old Country in the Spring: those^who the Diocesan Office, P.O. Box 133, Grahams- have seen it, after being away for some tow n . Local Agents are asked to send names and years, know that the praises of such new addresses of any removals from their list, beauty cannot well be over-sung. When or change in numbers required, to the Editor, the first bloom had worn off most of Box 133, Grahamstown, also to apply at once the travellers found they had still some to the Editor if the Magazines do not reacli them duly. way to go before being as fit as they :o;------------- expected, but we trust it wall not be long before they are all as fresh and full of life as ever. PRAYER FOR THE MISSION. The immediate future is not quite so bright as we should like; gaps will have O Lord Jesus Christ, whose love is never to remain for a few months, but beyond failing, make this day to be the day of Thy tender mercy towards this Mission. Listen that there is certainly a real brightness: to the prayers of all Thy children; be the Mr. Stenson may possibly have gone before Shepherd of the lost, the Guide and the Light this is in your hands and his successor can­ of unbelievers, the Teacher of the simple, the not sail as soon as at first he expected— it Father of the fatherless, the Protector of the oppressed, the Physician of the suffering, the will now be towards the end of September; Comforter of the dying, and bring us all at two other Priests have offered their ser­ last to Thee, our Refuge and eternal Rest, vices, but they will not be able to come till who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without the New Year; and Miss Porter hopes to end. A m en. sail on the Ceramic on August 24th and is bringing with her Miss Barker, who will be ----------------- :o:----------------- filling Miss Gardner’s place. Miss Barker LETTER FROM THE HEAD. is an experienced worker and has some knowledge of the Transvaal, so she will not be entirely new. Miss Batcham expects to Grahamstown, return by the end of October. On the June 19th, 1923. whole, therefore, we have much cause for Dear Friends, thankfulness in having our gaps filled up Since I last wrote to you Mr. Peppercorn, even if it does mean a little break mean­ Miss Stenson and Miss Batcham have all while. sailed for England; news has been received Then, too, Mr. Rogers, one of the oldest of their and of Miss Gardner’s safe arrival. and best friends of the Mission, hopes to They all seem to have had the usual jolly sail for South Africa again in July, and SOUTH AFRICAN CHURCH RAILWAY MISSION QUARTERLY. 3 whether he sees his way to join up with the 2 /1 ; Mazabuka, 1 /6 ; Kafue, 2 /2 ; Lusaka, Mission once more or accepts other work, lid.; Broken Hill, 8d.; Ndola, 1/5; Elisa- it will be a pleasure to know he is back with bethville, 2/8:1; Lubumbashi, 1/62; and us in the country: a truer and sounder Panda, 3/2. I am grateful to one or two of friend the Mission never had, and he may our readers for kindly drawing my attention be sure of a very hearty welcome. to the mistakes so that they may be cor­ Mr. Thorne has found the climatic con­ rected in this issue— it is a good thing some ditions more trying- that he expected, and notice is taken of what is printed, and it to his great annoyance has had to miss some seems almost worth making a mistake now of his engagements: he has gone to Kim­ and then so as to assure us of this fact: I berley for a little change, which I hope will am sure Mr. Peppercorn would like me to set him up in health and strength. We are offer his apologies for the mistakes. While indebted to Canon Wyche for very kindly some folk worked out the figures and found coming to our rescue and taking services at the mistakes, others were greatly taken by Sandflats and Alicedale in June. Mr. Smith the general contents of Mr. Peppercorn’s is at present working along the New Cape letter, and one of our readers strongly urged Central Railway: the General Manager of that it should be printed on a special slip the Line has been wishing for us to do and broadcasted right through the country; something for a long time, and it is a for she always thought, and she was sure pleasure that we have been able to respond crowds of our friends are under the im­ to his invitation: Mr. Smith hopes to be pression, that the Railways -pay for the back before the end of June. workers along the line just as they pay for I am sorry that in our last issue an omis­ the engine-drivers! What a hope!! When sion and a series of mistakes occurred; they shall we be able to get rid o f this idea? were in the contribution “Northern Rho­ Everybody knows that the workers in every desia and the Congo. Church Finance (con­ other religious body have to be paid for by cluded). How is the money raised?” This that body, but crowds still think somebody should have appeared over the name of Mr. or other pays for the workers of the English Peppercorn, as it was his letter and was a Church, so there is no need to be otherwise continuation of the one he sent for the than mean in our contributions to the January number: unfortunately the Editor Church. It has often been stated in this was unwell and her place was taken by an­ magazine, but evidently not often enough, other at the last moment. The mistakes are that the various Administrations provide to be found in the last columns— “Average the workers with free travelling to enable per Person.” No doubt Mr. Peppercorn was them to get about,but for the rest the money in a hurry when he prepared his figures, as has to be provided entirely by the Church usually he is a most careful individual in and the money comes from those to whom such matters. The averages should have we minister or from the kind contributions been; Kalomo, 1 /1 ; Pemba, 8£d.; Monze, of friends in this country and in England. 4 LIGHT FOR THE LINE. It is on account of the fact that we are out which was given by the members of the to minister to the “ fews” and those who are Winstanley Guild in England in memory of scattered that we cannot hope to pay our their Founder, arrived and was dedicated way, and this is our justification for asking on April 29th, and a right royal time we had for help from our fellow-churchmen: this there: everything looks in keeping and is means that those who are doing their duty of first rate quality, and there is no question and giving fairly and liberally of their of offering Almighty God a “tin shanty with means are gladly helped by friends more fittings to match” in this case—why, the favourably placed, but it also means that father of the first little one to be baptized those who make no attempt to contribute as in the church, seeing almost everything else they are well able to do, are content to get was provided but a font, promised to give their spiritual ministrations very largely as one, and that has been the spirit through­ charity, and the least said about that the out. When Mr. Herbert first suggested better. It should be stated that at Broken building a church, some real groans were Hill, Elisabethville and Panda last year they heard, for it seemed to some of the hopefuls had their Sustentation Funds and prac­ they were in for hard labour for the rest of tically paid their way: other places in the their natural lives and that they would not list too did pretty well: there are places the live to see the building.