Page:Women of distinction.djvu/330

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WOMEN OF DISTINCTION.

great strain told on the strength of our subject. It was then arranged that she board in the institution. Here she remained a boarder even after her graduation, so attached was she to her "Soelman Home. "Before a graduate Miss Howard taught at Wodley, Ga. Here she was very much loved by parents and pupils. As teacher in the model school at Spelman she distinguished herself as a disciplinarian, as well as an affectionate teacher. She was therefore highly recommended to the Board of Education of the city of Atlanta for a position in the Sommerville Graded School of that city. Here she taught with much acceptance until 1890, when she offered her resignation to take up work in Africa immediately. This was the "object in view" of which she used to so often speak. When first she told her mother what her "object" was the mother laughed her away, saying, "You are going to bed, that is where you are going. You do not know what you are talking about." The devoted daughter would have gone immediately after her graduation but for her health.

April 24th found farewells over and the last preparation made for the long journey. On this day she took a joyful leave of dear ones to begin her long-cherished work in Africa. She was assigned to Lukunga Station, where she found hundreds already gathered in school and church. She took the place as teacher ere she had time to begin the study of the language of this hungering people. English studies had been begun by some of the Lukunga pupils, so it made this immediate beginning possible. Along with Miss Gordon she founded the