Part 3

And this is desirable for many reasons. With our present facilities we could equally well instruct twice or thrice the present number did the men present themselves having the proper preliminary education for the study of theology. Our greatest need is _scholarships_, both to secure this elementary training and to assist students while in the theological department. Without some aid, but few can obtain a proper education for usefulness in the university. Not much is required, as compared with what white students require and receive, but this little is necessary to stimulate personal effort, and to help them over insurmountable obstacles on the road to useful knowledge. Is there a cheaper or better way for patriots or Christians to solve this social, political, moral and religious problem?

WILMINGTON, N.C.

BY MR. W. H. THRALL.

Perhaps the tendency of this people is to give much prominence to showy performances. We have aimed this year in Wilmington to check this, and not to allow preparations for the “exhibition” to interrupt regular recitation-room work.

The scholars were early given to understand that the last monthly examinations would be more than usually difficult; that they would be oral as well as written, and that very much would depend upon the results. The last four days of the school year were given up to the examinations. If the readers of THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY could have hurried through the deep sands of Wilmington’s streets, to our school building on one of those days, they would have seen four rooms crowded with anxious workers, telling with tongue or pen, what they had been learning during the months past.

Some of the pupils, after writing steadily for two or three hours at a time begged the privilege of continuing their work at the noon recess and after school hours. The papers spoke for the thoroughness of the work that they had done.

Upon the walls were hung map drawings, specimens of penmanship and of freehand drawing, that would compare well with exhibits which I have seen in rooms of the same grades in the best schools in the North. In the First Primary Room were two things of especial interest: a table covered with needle-work made by the smallest girls of the school, and two sets of papers placed side by side, showing the penmanship, spelling, figures, etc., of the same pupil in October, 1882, and in May, 1883. The work of the pupils of that room at the number-table, and their writing and reading, encourage us that there is reason for hope in the coming generation of colored people.

The closing exercises of the school were held Tuesday evening, May 29th. The hall, the aisles, entries, doors and windows were crowded. The men even climbed the verandas to reach us. The pupils had flooded us with the choicest flowers, grasses and foliage, and the hall was beautifully decorated. The part the pupils had in adorning it spoke well for their taste. At the appointed time the audience of between four and five hundred was called to order, and the programme commenced. For two hours and a half the throng sat or stood, listening to recitations, declamations, dialogues, essays, one oration, songs, etc. I wish the people of the North who question the promise of this race could have been present. There was hardly one hesitation in the recitations; the essays and oration showed thought and good English; and little boys and girls gave concert recitations in perfect unison.

Important features of the programme were, a tableau called “The tempted boy and the guardian angel,” designed to give an object lesson on temperance, and an illustrated poem by pupils of the Grammar and Normal Room. Both of these exercises proved the pupils’ readiness to understand and their quickness to execute. The teacher in charge had but little time to teach them, yet everything was done with ease and rapidity.

The evening’s entertainment was a fresh exhibit to us all of the talent and the tact that lie dormant in this race, which is to be the ruling race in twelve States at no distant day; and we bade “good-bye” to our pupils with new courage to go on with a work which must be slow, but is essential to the very life of our country.

EMERSON INSTITUTE, MOBILE, ALA.

BY MISS HELEN D. BARTON.

Anniversary exercises at Emerson Institute, May 25th. The much-talked-of and long-looked-for last day of school had come. Though it was the last day many of the last things had already been done. The last hour of hard study was over, the last recitation heard, the last examination paper marked. The two days preceding had been devoted to what were, by courtesy, called oral examinations. In reality, however, much of the time, in the lower rooms at least, was devoted to the entertainment of the visitors. The favorite songs were sung and the best recitations made. If George Washington’s mother or sister came in, George’s classes were called, his slate work was examined and compared with others, and he was invited to recite his “speech.” A variation from the programme was made again and again that as far as possible the visitors might judge of the work of the children in whom they are more especially interested. This could be done as the certificates for promotion were given on the standing of the pupils in the written examinations held the second week in May.

Friday morning the children came together as a school for the last time. After devotional exercises the departments were dismissed to their own rooms, where the teacher read the per cents. of the examinations and presented each pupil with a certificate grading him for the coming year. Many faces brightened with pleasure. Some few showed dissatisfaction; having fallen slightly below the desired average they find the obnoxious word conditionally written on the card. Others still feel bitter disappointment; having failed, they must remain in the same grade. Some of these deserve our sympathy, the failure being caused by poverty or sickness; others are only reaping the reward of carelessness and indolence.

When the distribution of certificates was completed, Miss Caughey, the principal, went in turn to each department, and after adding her word of encouragement to the disappointed ones and approbation to the successful ones, invited the promoted class to seats in the room the next grade above. This ceremony was impressive, and many showed the conflicting emotions of joy and sadness, joy at the honor conferred and a sadness at the thought of separation from teacher and schoolmates which caused them to go reluctantly to the places assigned.

At the appointed hour in the evening the assembly room was filled to overflowing with the eager happy children and their friends. After prayer by Rev. O. D. Crawford the exercises given by the pupils were called in, according to the programme. Mr. Crawford and General Slaughter, Post-Master of the city, made brief remarks. Where each one endeavored to do his best, it is difficult to mention those who excelled. “Mother Goose and her Friends” chiefly served the spice for the entertainment. One of our white friends found it difficult to believe that this ancient singer of nursery rhymes was not a middle aged woman instead of the young girl she really is. The “Friends” were received with enthusiasm also, even down to the “brave boy” Johnnie Horner, the baby of our school. The tableau of “Hiawatha” was thoroughly enjoyed. In “Songs of Seven,” the recitations “Seven Times One,” by little Odelia Chavanah and “Seven Times Seven” by Miss Sallie Washington, were received with gratifying applause. The valedictory by Miss Belle Daniels deserved and received high praise. To critical eyes, no doubt, many defects were evident; but our audience seemed well pleased and congratulations were freely given. I think most of those present would agree with old Aunt Gracie in her remark, summing it all up: “It was delightful to be looked at.”

LE MOYNE INSTITUTE, MEMPHIS.

[A large amount of space is given in the _Memphis Daily Appeal_, the _Daily Memphis Avalanche_ and the _Public Ledger_ to reports of the anniversary exercises of the Le Moyne Institute. These, with accompanying editorial paragraphs, indicate the high esteem in which Prof. Steele and his corps of workers are held and the appreciation of his school. The anniversary was attended by two thousand people. The enthusiasm is represented to have been continuous from the beginning to the end of the exercises, and the effort of Prof. Steele to raise money for the Institute from the citizens of Memphis was endorsed by many present. We give below an extract from the _Appeal_ which represents how our work is regarded by the better class of Southern people.—ED.]

The feeling in this city in favor of universal education was never stronger than it is now. This is plainly shown by the interest everywhere manifested in the Le Moyne Institute or school for negroes, which gave so enjoyable an entertainment at the Greenlaw Opera-house Monday night. A number of prominent citizens who were present expressed the greatest surprise and astonishment, and the opinion was general that the inculcation of ideas such as those of which the graduates seemed possessed was bound to do good to them, and by reflection upon the balance of the community.

“Was the entertainment at the Opera-house just as you reported it?” asked a gentleman of an _Appeal_ reporter yesterday.

“Justice was not fully done,” was the reply.

“And the Le Moyne is a colored institution?”

“Yes.”

“You surprise me,” the gentlemen replied. “I have heard the Le Moyne frequently spoken of, but had no idea it was accomplishing all it is said to have done. Why, the subjects chosen by the essayists could be handled only by those possessed of considerable knowledge.”

“Yes, it is a new idea in the South,” remarked a listener, who had been present at the entertainment, “and I find it difficult to say whether I was most surprised or delighted. I heard every essay and recitation from beginning to end, and there was not a break or stumble, no stopping to recover breath, no tedious repetitions. The absence of the parrot was noticeable. The novelty of the affair held my attention at first, but I soon forgot this, and found myself drifting along with the essayists as they waded into their subjects. Another thing that struck me forcibly was the absence of rant in the young men and the failure to giggle on the part of the young women. They seemed to take it as a matter of course that they were there, and that their audience would be interested in what they might have to say. I, for one am heartily in favor of keeping up the good work. No man who thinks can say that every negro in the land would not be better off and better fitted to cope with the age in which lives, if he had enough education to enable him to throw off the dense cloud of superstition—a mixture of ignorance and faith—in which he is now enveloped. The country would be better, its tone purer and healthier, if every man in it were educated.”

“The music furnished by the graduates particularly attracted me,” said a lady teacher who heard it. “I have always contended that the negro had a passion for music of a certain rich and melodious kind, but could not appreciate its delicate shading, and could have no conception of it as a science. I am ready now to say I was mistaken. Though the music the other night was nothing extraordinary, I heard enough to convince me that its interpreters had a good idea of symphony, and could with proper training, rise to a high degree of excellence. The solo ‘I’ll Follow Thee’, was one of the sweetest things I ever heard in public or private. The voice of the young woman who sang it was pure and clear, every cadence soft and melodious, every note in perfect tune. It was a genuine revelation.”

“The whole entertainment was a revelation to me,” remarked an old planter. “I attended the exhibition out of pure curiosity, never dreaming that it would impress me as it has done. I have always scouted the idea of negro education, and I may say I have been its enemy. I am perfectly willing to give way now, however. But I have one lingering fear—that it will take a wrong direction and have a tendency to create an idle class and deplete the ranks of labor, farm labor especially. If those who have the training of the negro will keep this danger before them and guard against it, then the result of their labor will be good; but if they fail and allow their pupils to think labor is degrading; to think that man’s only province is to cultivate his mind, then the result will be deplorable. This I notice, however, has already been seen, and I cannot say I have any fears on that score from the Le Moyne Institute.”

Perhaps no subject has been more discussed than this since the exhibition last Monday night.

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THE INDIANS.

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CATHOLIC MISSIONS.—RECENT CHANGES.

REV. MYRON EELLS, S’KOKOMISH, W.T.

About 30 years ago a Catholic priest came here, taught the people, baptized some of them, made a few Indian priests, and left, so that for many years previous to the assignment of the Agency to the American Missionary Association they had received little religious instruction. Intermarriage with some of the tribes where the Catholics have had teachers has kept up remembrance of those early times. One Indian especially, who has been among the very worst, belongs to this class. Having failed to conquer the agent, he gave up, but when he returned seemed determined if he failed in one way to try another, and so began to revive the old Catholic religion, and he has held such services frequently for a number of years.

About two years ago an Indian before his death saw several strange visions, which combined some truth with much of the old Indian superstition. This man leaned toward the Catholics, partly because I did not believe these revelations to be of as much value as the Bible, and partly because his relations favored the Catholic religion. A few of them set up regular services, partly Catholic and partly after their own revelations. At funerals they sometimes wished me to officiate in company with them, but in most cases they have given up and let me have the whole service.

Last fall another Indian who had moved away and taken a homestead about 20 miles from here apparently died, but after six and a half hours revived and told of wonderful things which he had seen. He has since been baptized by the Catholics, built a church and become a priest.

Last summer I spoke of two promising young men whom I hoped would be of great Christian service here. The most promising after doing very well for a time, brought great disgrace upon himself and was suspended from the church. I have tried to show him his error, but thus far it has not produced the result desired.

These Indians have almost entirely lost faith in their old religion as such, but naturally want one of some kind. They are, however, unwilling to give up their horse-racing and some of them their gambling. I have been asked by several to baptize them, but refused because of these things. The Catholic religion allows all this, and so they have turned to it. The consolidation of the three Puget Sound agencies into one last fall has given us thus far less moral force here.

There have been occasional light spots. A letter came from Pearl Street Church, in Hartford, where I taught a Sabbath-school class fourteen years ago, offering us a barrel. It seemed very providential, as if God were saying: “You work on, and I will take care of the support.” The barrel came and everything appeared to be so good that the children squealed, as they do not often, while each article was taken out, and their mother often said: “How very thoughtful the people were,” and we all had to thank God for it.

I have just returned from a visit to the Clallam Indians. I found some of them doing well and some very badly, the agent having during the past seven months had six times as many Indians to look after as formerly, and the best subordinates which he has been able to obtain have disappointed him. On the other hand, some have done quite well, especially those who have procured land for homes. The Christian Indians thus far stand well. They are not perfect, but progressing. Two were received into the church during my visit, and three others joined last November. The school-teacher, who had resigned, left while I was there, and it is thought best to give them a long vacation before sending them another. He had charge of the Sabbath-school. The church expects to keep up its regular services, including that of the Sabbath-school and a weekly prayer-meeting. I have been fortunate in procuring some large, cheap Bible pictures, which have taken the fancy of the Indians very much. They have been in demand by all classes. I have already obtained or ordered about 185 of them. I can impart religious truth by them better than in any other way.

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THE CHINESE.

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ANNIVERSARIES—THE WORK DURING APRIL AND MAY.

REV. W. C. POND.

My report of progress in our Mission covers two months and even more. It will be difficult to compress within my space all that I would like to say.

Our mission at Santa Cruz celebrated its second anniversary on Sunday evening, April 8. It was an occasion of great and encouraging interest. Instead of the fifteen or twenty Chinese present at the previous anniversary, we had at least fifty with us. Instead of an assembly of Americans occupying in respectable numbers the pews of the church, we had every inch of available standing-room occupied, and I am told, at least two hundred went away from the church door, unable to enter.

The fact that Chinese once settled in Santa Cruz, seem inclined to stay there, and that consequently the membership of the school has been less changeable than in some other places, gave us a better opportunity than is sometimes afforded to measure the progress during a year. The showing gave me great encouragement. There had been marked progress in the use of the English language and in the knowledge of the truth. Best of all, several who a year ago were heathen, now seem to be true followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. The contribution was the largest I ever received on any such occasion, except in our own Bethany Church. It amounted in cash and in pledges to over $100.

Our schools in San Francisco celebrated their eighth public anniversary on April 29. This, too, was an exceedingly interesting service, and our Bethany Church was filled. The point of special interest and encouragement about it was this: That while the exercises were in all respects equal to those of any previous year, we were not obliged to call in the aid of any of our helpers, except as they assisted in the service of song. The original address in English by Lung Chung was a frank, manly and effective statement of his own Christian life, with its faults and shortcomings, as well as its new, strange light and peace.

I lay before the readers of the MISSIONARY the following paragraph, which I placed in the _Pacific_ of May 9. I trust they will be interested in the statement of facts, and am not without hope that they will listen kindly to the appeal:

“The monthly reports for April show seventeen schools in active operation and thirty-nine teachers and helpers employed. The total number of pupils enrolled was 991; the average attendance, 415. The attendance in this city is temporarily diminished on account of the darkness of the streets; otherwise the enrollment would have exceeded 1,000, and the average attendance would have approached 500. Of those now in attendance on the schools 172 profess to have ceased from idolatry, and 116 are believed to be true Christians. Two hundred and thirty-one new names were enrolled, and the total number who have been connected with our schools during the last eight months is no less than 2,356. With the beginning of this month of May, another school is added to our list—the one in Alameda. It has been sustained for several years with a most Christ-like devotion by Mrs. E. L. Wilson. Unable to carry it on any longer alone, she appeals to our mission for aid, and though the operations already in hand task our resources to their utmost, we could not let so good a work as Mrs. Wilson had been doing die for the lack of a helping hand. It will be necessary to raise in addition to the appropriation made by the American Missionary Association, $5,500 to carry this work through to August 31, the close of the present fiscal year. The utmost care is taken to make each dollar do its best, but it is impossible to sustain so large a work on less than $1,000 per month. A careful review of the statistics given above will lead, I am sure, not to criticism of the amount, but rather to surprise that at so little cost so much has been accomplished. Of the $5,500 needed, I have on hand, or in sight, $3,000, and for the balance I make an earnest appeal to our churches, and to all friends of Christ and of humanity.”

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BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.

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TO THE LADIES OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.

DEAR FRIENDS: Permit me to call your attention to the urgent needs of the American Missionary Association in its department of Woman’s Work.

Many earnest Christian women are personally engaged as missionaries at the South, and among the Chinese and the Indians. They give instruction in home duties, improved housekeeping, family government, the best use of money; they gather children into Sunday-schools, teach in day and boarding-schools—bearing with them always the blessed Gospel truth, the foundation on which we build.

We need your aid in the support of these missionaries and missionary teachers, who will thus become your representatives in the field. Laboring with a lowly and despised people, they are cut off in many instances from social privileges, and your Christian love and remembrance will give strength and good cheer.

We need scholarships to aid worthy and needy students. Our boarding-schools are doing a great work for _girls_, and often a young girl is saved to a useful life by supplementing her meagre funds and retaining her in school. We need supplies of clothing for distribution by missionaries in getting the young into school and Sabbath-school; also furnishing of bed and table linen for mission homes and boarding halls. Already our matrons are asking supplies of this kind.

We are indebted to the ladies of many of the Congregational churches for valuable aid rendered, and now that the way is opened for more direct communication with you, may we not hope that all will become co-workers with our noble band of missionaries in seeking to instruct and benefit the women of races so ignorant and degraded as those with whom we labor?

We invite special correspondence in regard to the various fields and the aid that can be given. Surely so important a work, not limited to schools, but extending to the family and the church relations, cannot be accomplished until _woman_ reaches forth her hand to sister woman in uplifting helpfulness.

Yours truly, D. E. EMERSON, Secretary.

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MISSION HOMES.

MISS D. E. EMERSON.

“What is the Mission Home?” The question has often been asked by friends contributing to our work, as well as by those about to engage in it, and from the latter we have had some rather striking descriptions of what they supposed the home to be, and of their pleasant surprise upon reaching it. It is not a boarding hall for students, as many have thought. Such halls are in connection with boarding schools and accommodate both teachers and students.