Chapter 2

From Avery Normal Institute, Charleston, S. C., twenty-three young men and women have entered upon the active responsibilities of life, having been graduated from that institution. This constitutes a valuable body of reinforcements to the work which the American Missionary Association is doing in that State for the educational and moral uplifting of the people. The heroism involved in securing their education, both on the part of the pupils and their parents, is emphasized in the record of the facts.

Nearly all of this interesting class are residents in the city, but from one of the islands we had one young lady, and two came from the country. In this band of twenty-three is represented every phase of city life, also the life on the islands and on the plantations.

A few came from homes of comparative comfort and represent the better phase of social life in the city; their parents know nothing personally of the old system of ante bellum days. Others are children of freedmen, who knew in younger years all the bitterness of bondage. Representatives of such families are diminishing in numbers year by year as the events of the war are being removed farther into history. One of these graduates is the daughter of a government official, the lighthouse keeper on Morris Island, where he has proved his fidelity by long years of continuous service.

To nearly every one commencement day has been the goal of their ambition for many years, while to the parents the keeping of the daughter or the son to the end of the course has been a severe struggle, demanding many sacrifices, which have been endured in the hope or resolve to see their children have a better chance in the start in life than was ever offered the parent.

Twenty of the class are faithful members of some evangelical church, and have proved the sincerity of their profession by consistent, Christian lives while in school.

Two of the men and as many of the young women planned to continue their studies. These have taken the preparatory course along with the normal in the hope that some way might be offered for a continuance of study in one of the American Missionary Association colleges, but stern necessity compels nearly all to enter at once the ranks of wage-earners, and they must-seek positions as teachers or in some other line of employment.

Several have won high standing as scholars and would distinguish themselves if they had the opportunity for continued study. One has already begun his course in pharmacy, and others are at some chosen line of more or less skilled labor.

The commencement exercises here, as everywhere, were full of interest and attracted an immense crowd. All who appeared before the public acquitted themselves well, and the commencement of 1900 passed into history as one of the most successful the Institute has known. Thus we sow beside all waters; what shall the harvest be?

* * * * *

WHAT OUR GRADUATES DO--AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE.

PRES. OSCAR ATWOOD, NEW ORLEANS.

The case of Rev. James A. Herod, of Abbeville, La., is very interesting. He came from Arkansas to New Orleans to enter Straight University. He had been told that he could obtain an education there at very moderate cost by working for the institution. When he arrived he inquired for "the boss," being ignorant of the proper appellation of the head of the school. He was admitted as a student and remained long enough to complete the normal course and also the English course in theology.

As a student Mr. Herod was not brilliant, but he was faithful. He had excellent common sense and great moral power. His influence over his fellow-students was strong and helpful. He won the admiration and respect of all. We all predicted success for him as he went out from the University to take up his life-work.

Mr. Herod became pastor of the Congregational Church at Abbeville. It was then at a very low ebb. He was also made Principal of the public school of the city. He has labored untiringly and with rare devotion and his success has been very marked.

The writer had the privilege of visiting Mr. Herod in his field. He found him pastor of a flourishing church with a comfortable church edifice and occupying a very nice parsonage. He met the Mayor of the city, the Superintendent of Schools and several of the representative white citizens, with whom he had conversations relating to Mr. Herod's work. These men bore willing testimony to its importance and value. They affirmed that he had built up his church and had done very much to elevate the colored people, that he had won the love and esteem of his race and also the confidence and respect of the best white people. Mr. Herod practises thrift; has a bank account and teaches the people economy and business honor.

The white people treat him with courtesy and show their appreciation of his work in many ways. There is now a very kindly feeling between the two races, largely owing to the efforts of this devoted man. There is very much to encourage in this case. There are other graduates who are doing a similar work.

* * * * *

SCHOOL LIFE IN PORTO RICO.

PROF. CHARLES B. SCOTT, PORTO RICO.

I was sitting in my room at the hotel at Lares, tired out after two days on pony-back, my first trip into the mountains of the interior, and my first experience on horseback. My long ride and consequent fatigue, my position, far from home, family and friends, in a new region where language, food, customs, all were strange, made me feel most lonesome. Only a good night's sleep could ward off a threatened attack of home-sickness, a longing to see the land and hear the language "that God made," as the boys in blue express it.

Suddenly a new sound aroused me, drew me to the porch, and brought a relief which only travelers who have been far from the homeland can realize. Four young girls on the next porch, scarcely visible in the gathering darkness, were singing:

"Mee condree, teez os tee, Shweet land of lee-bertee, Os tee we zeeng. Land where mee fathers died. Land os tee peel-greem's pride, From ef ree mountain side Let freedom reeng."

No one saw the tears that came or knew about the restful feeling which followed me into dreamland. I had not left my country. Its spirit, its love of liberty, the happy "songs in the night" which it had put into the mouths of its sons and daughters, had preceded me.

Every night during my stay in Lares, the four girls, one of them a daughter of the alcalde, or mayor, who made me understand that they had learned this song from their teacher, sang America for "el Americano," whose coming and talk about a possible school had made such a stir in their beautiful village.

When we opened an American Missionary Association school in Santurce and later in Lares, was it strange that America was the first song taught to the children? How quickly they learned it and how they sang it, with a spirit and enjoyment which I have rarely seen equaled. Then followed: "Rally Round the Flag," "The Star Spangled Banner," and "Marching through Georgia." They were the best means of instilling the spirit of patriotism and most effective agencies in training the pupils to keep together and follow a leader.

One day I heard several Porto Ricans singing with such spirit and earnestness a strange, rather weird melody; they told me it was "Borinquen," their national song extolling the beauties of their island home--called Borinquen by the original inhabitants. When I proposed in school one day, after singing America, that we would try Borinquen, if one of the older young ladies would lead us, the quiet that came over the school, the brightening of faces and air of expectancy, removed all possible doubt about their love of their island. After that America and Borinquen usually came together. Every Porto Rican and Spaniard learned to sing America.

But the songs we sang impressed on these music-loving boys and girls thoughts other than those of love of country. Within a month after opening most children could sing "Jesus Loves Me," and the little primary children rarely failed to ask for this when given a choice. Later came "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and other religious songs. When they afterward heard from the Bible, read in Spanish and in English, the story of Jesus taking the children into his arms, the song had prepared for the story and the story made the song mean more. Nearly all learned to say, in Spanish or English or both: "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

So the songs opened the way for Bible stories and Bible verses. The little first grade children studied about Abraham, and the others learned about David as a boy, a shepherd, a servant in the king's palace, a fugitive from Saul and as being King of Israel. Nearly all learned the Twenty-third Psalm and several of the Beatitudes.

We were afraid the parents might object to the religious songs and Bible stories and withdraw the pupils from the school. But they did not, not one, so far as we knew. Several told me that they wanted their children not merely to learn to read and to become intelligent Americans, but that they wanted them to grow up as good men and women and were glad to have them taught these things. During the last two months some time was given nearly every day, in each room, to Bible stories or Bible study.

We soon found that our Porto Rican boys and girls know very little about study or attention or self-control and obedience. In most homes they do much as they please. In school they had been accustomed to studying out loud, to learning by heart without understanding, to reciting in concert, and to talking as much as they pleased. They are quick-tempered and apt to fly into a passion. They lack greatly in perseverance or "stick-to-it-iveness."

The schoolroom was a noisy, distracting place for a time; the playground was the scene of frequent uproars and even fights. They seemed to have no idea of playing together or following a leader or of organizing and keeping up games.

But they were kindly and friendly in spirit and most courteous and polite, much more so than most American children in similar schools. They certainly appreciated warmly what we were doing for them and were most anxious to do as the children do in American schools. They lacked the life and tendency to mischief of American children. After a few weeks there was little trouble about discipline or order, and they learned to control themselves better and to pay better attention. It took months to break the habit of studying aloud, and will take years to instil habits of perseverance and self-reliance.

The most helpful means of training in attention, instant obedience and self-control were the daily calisthenic exercises, which they all enjoyed and entered into with spirit.

Space permits only hasty reference to other lessons taught without books in our school, lessons in self-respect. Every child was expected to pay a small tuition, in money or labor, only a peseta, equivalent to twelve American cents, a week, but enough to inculcate the feeling that they were paying for what they got. At first it was hard to get the money. They had to be reminded again and again, but week by week they became more regular and seemed to take more pride in handing the teacher each Tuesday morning their silver coin. Much to our surprise there was, toward the last, very little delay or difficulty in getting the tuition.

In the Santurce school a sewing-class was organized to give fifteen very poor girls, all colored, an opportunity to "earn their tuition,"--as we told them--by sewing for us an hour or two every Saturday. Most of them had rarely handled a needle. They did not make many garments, but they learned considerable about sewing, were as regular as clockwork every Saturday morning, and appreciated better the education which they thus earned. Wasn't this better than some book lessons?

Another lesson in self-respect came from the idea--which the children gained without a word from us--that those who attended the American school must be clean and must have clothes and shoes and stockings. At least half of the children at the Santurce school came from the poorer classes, most of them from the shack district. A walk through this section would show most of the children under seven absolutely naked, and nine-tenths of the parents and older children barefooted, the girls and women bareheaded, with only indispensable clothing, often ragged and dirty. A glance into our schoolrooms or at the company trooping out at noon or at four o'clock showed only children with shoes and stockings, as neatly dressed, as clean as those coming from any school in the States. The dirty or ragged or barefooted would not come. Before or after school, or on Saturdays or Sundays, some of them could scarcely be recognized in their home-clothes. The good clothes and the shoes were often worn only at school and at the fiestas or on holidays.

How many times, looking up absent children, we found that they were away because of dirty clothes, or because the one good suit was being washed, or because shoes were worn out. Frequently we furnished them with shoes or clothes, trying to devise some way by which they could work for them, earn them. This education in neatness and self-respect was not book education, but it was more valuable than much learned from books.

During the school-year our two hundred and fifty school children needed and used at least twice as much clothing as in any similar previous period of their lives. Does not that show how education and Christianity increase needs and develop business and commerce?

But we have been talking about schools and pupils with scarcely a word about books or classes. We had them, much as in American schools. At first, with children who spoke and understood only Spanish and teachers who knew little Spanish, there were great difficulties and progress was slow. The book and class-work were not as interesting or encouraging as some of the other lessons I have told about.

The children were quick and "picked up" English rapidly. When words would not serve they could talk with hands and head and shoulders and whole body, much better than can American children. They were patient and had good memories, but found it hard to think. I judge that they had rarely been expected or taught to think for themselves. Arithmetic was hard for them. Reading in Spanish--where each letter, vowel or consonant has, in general, but one sound and there are no silent letters--was very easy. But reading and spelling in English--where they could not know what sound to give to a letter, and what letters had no sound--was most trying. However, they did, even in reading English, as well as we had any right to expect.

Were there no discouragements? Hosts of them. But the encouragements were so much greater. It was hard to get them to study. Sometimes it seemed that they would never learn to think. The noises of the street, the curious crowds about the doors, the dogs which would insist on making themselves at home in the schoolroom, were trying. It was warm all winter--how odd that word sounded to us!--between 85 and 90 degrees on Christmas day. But most trying and discouraging of all was the irregular attendance, day after day, one-fifth, one-quarter, even one-third absent. There was much sickness. During February and March grip and "catarros" or colds kept many away. But much of the absence was due to carelessness, the almost weekly "fiestas" or church feasts or holidays, the errands to San Juan, the lack of clothing, the fear of rain, anything, everything and nothing. And yet they were deeply interested in the school, and parents had sacrificed much to send their boys and girls to school and were anxious for them to get an education. But the lower classes have not learned to do anything regularly or in order. They attend school as they eat, work and sleep--as they live. This condition calls for another lesson, outside of the books, a hard, slow lesson which the schools must teach.

Did the American Missionary Association schools pay? Did we feel rewarded for some sacrifices and privations? At Santurce a colored mother came in just before we left the house for the boat to the States to thank us for what we had done for her three girls. Her face and eyes told more than her Spanish tongue could convey to us. At Lares the whole afternoon and evening before our teachers left there was a constant stream of children and mothers and sisters and fathers, Spanish, many or most of them, coming to say good-bye, to thank the teachers, the Misses Blowers, Blinka and French, for what they had done; to beg them, many with tears running down their cheeks, to come back to them in the fall.

And yet we have only begun to plow the ground and to sow the seed. What will the harvest be? Only He can tell for whom the sowing is done and who alone giveth the increase.

* * * * *

As this magazine goes to press our missionaries are leaving for the work of the new year in Porto Rico. During the summer they have been busy among churches, Sunday-schools and Endeavor Societies seeking to stimulate a larger interest for the wonderful work opening in this island territory. An extensive campaign has been carried on throughout Ohio and Michigan by Prof. Scott and Rev. Mr. Edwards. In the East, Miss Blowers has told the story of the needs and possibilities of the Porto Rican children. We appreciate the cordial interest manifested in this work. These missions need reinforcement by the increase of the number in teachers and evangelists. There should be buildings erected for the schools and chapels at different points. New fields should be occupied in the near future. The work demands a large place in the interest and contributions of our Sunday-schools and Endeavor Societies as well as our churches.

* * * * *

AMONG THE INDIANS.

Missionary Work in Out-Stations.

REV. G. W. REED, NORTH DAKOTA.

In some of our Indian mission fields the name out-station is a misnomer. It is especially so on the Standing Rock Reservation where there has never been a mission boarding-school to make prominent a central station. Ten years ago all of the 3,700 Indians came to the agency every two weeks for their rations of meat, flour, etc. For four or five days, including Sunday, they all camped in a radius of five miles. Here was a fine opportunity for religious work. Here naturally was built the first chapel which was the home of the first church organization though the original members lived in South Dakota, 32 miles from their chapel, which was in North Dakota.

But to-day the out-station is emphatically the in-station, in the heart of the various Indian communities; for four sub issue stations have been established, and with few exceptions the people are compelled to travel not over twenty-five miles to get their bi-weekly rations. There is no good reason why they should be away from home more than two days for this purpose. This arrangement has given great prominence to the so-called out-station--which is in charge of a native preacher and his wife, both of like importance in the work, in the heart of an Indian community, letting its light shine every day in the year. The people are becoming more and more scattered, making the day-school well nigh an impossibility and greatly diminishing the attendance at all but Sunday religious meetings.

It is no uncommon thing to find a family with no neighbor within a mile. They have found it easier to haul a few loads of wood in winter than many loads of hay 10 to 15 miles in summer. They are living out where they can find a good range and plenty of hay for their cattle.

In the day of villages the native preacher having his people closely about him could have a well-attended school, where parents and children learned to read the Word of God in their own language, through the long evenings of the winter months.

The compulsory attendance of all the children from 6 to 18 years of age in school, mostly in boarding-schools, has closed the mission _day_-school, and the native worker has become preacher and pastor and no longer a school teacher. Ten years ago the work of our native workers could be closely planned by the white missionary, but to-day he must plan his own work largely to fit ever changing conditions, and learn to make each day count most for Christ. These men must be men of fidelity, men who have been trained in our Oahe or Santee schools, men who have a much larger knowledge of the Bible than their fellows. There have never been half enough of such for the work.

David Many Bulls, one of the best men we ever had, never went to school a year in his life, but he was an exception in his successful work. He was stationed 70 miles from a white missionary. Well do I remember the starting of this out-station.

It was an out-station, away out from anywhere, but the few people there were urgent for a teacher, and promised to help all they could and furnish logs for a meeting-house. I travelled over 600 miles back and forth before we had a house for the preacher and his family. At first he lived in a tent, and in November it was cold. In the change from one community to another he was cheated out of his beef issues for a month. He suffered this with other wrongs rather than make complaint which might make enemies for his new work. Few attended his school and religious services even on Sunday, but he never lost heart. When his little babe was sick, and all his people were away for weeks, though sorely tempted to go back down the river 70 miles to his relatives, he stuck to his post, and when the little one died took this long journey for its burial and in a week was back at his work.

Though not strong physically, he seldom failed to travel the 100 miles round trips with his people when they went for rations in the cold of winter, and these, with his rides in house-to-house visitations, hastened his death after one year of most faithful and arduous work. Five men in succession have followed him, tried to do the work and given it up as too hard. And it is hard, for the people have done little in six years to help themselves.

An out-station work of 15 years' growth has been more hopeful, and last year resulted in a church organization, and this year the people have voted to pay in part the salary of their pastor whom they have chosen for a year. There have been few changes in native workers at this place and this fact has been a hopeful factor in the good results.

In proportion to its membership their women's society has led all others in its contributions. When they wanted a nice bell the people raised two-thirds of its cost. When they built their chapel, they raised two-fifths of its cost. When they wanted pews for it they paid two-thirds of their cost. They were the first to build a good cemetery fence, the first to enclose their chapel with a substantial fence. One of their number placed in the edifice a fine memorial window. From their number have been chosen most of the native workers for other out-stations.

The Little Oak Creek people have set the pace in helping themselves. I enclose a picture of their Messiah Chapel and congregation.