Various

“ Aside from African features, more or less pronounced, and some Southernisms in voice and expression, you might imagine you were listening to a class in a new Northwestern college.
We are orthodox, and believe in the good old idea of discipline through the hard study of Latin, Greek, and mathematics, with the usual amount of science, both natural and mental, and the et ceteras. The colored man is just a man, and his mind must be dealt with as are other minds. He must climb the difficult hill of education, as his white brother, by many a slow and weary step ”

“ The days grew hotter and the fever grew fiercer, and the requirements of the irritable, dying man became almost unendurable; but the ungainly Ching never flinched as with untiring, patient hands he waited upon the hard master whose young life was fast burning itself out in the relentless fires of the unyielding fever. ”

“ Professor Steele’s classes in the natural sciences and civil government we may find in the library.
Passing now to the model school we see a quiet, busy room, with three grades of pupils under the care of Miss Cornes. Besides the ordinary lessons we hear an object lesson given on some flowers. We notice the skillful use of corn and other seeds by the children as an aid in the practical understanding of numbers. We note that nearly every child in the room can write a readable hand on his slate, and we are fortunate in hearing Miss Miller, the music teacher, give her lesson in music. ”

“ It may be truly said, then, that every instinct of self-preservation demands that the unquestionable right of the general government shall be exercised in using the means at its disposal to meet the [103] great danger which threatens us from the presence and power of ignorant voters; and that every sentiment of justice to the negro himself as the subject of many wrongs and the possible avenger of them, and to the States themselves, requires that governmental aid shall be given to the common schools of the country. ”

“ Thank God for this glorious constellation of talent, learning and piety, combined to elucidate the word of God for the use of those great masses of the people who are not and cannot be scholars.‒The Christian Union.
There is no other Commentary which can take the place of this. Those who desire something for family use, something in which the unlearned may find condensed in a reasonable space an explanation of difficult passages so far as recent research enables them to be explained, will find this Commentary the best that has yet been published.‒The American Church Review. ”

“ Some teach classes in the university and some do manual labor. Nearly all are compelled to be absent a part of the college year, thus increasing their toil when they return. Who would not help people who are thus helping themselves?
All the college students are professing Christians, and out of the thirty-two, twenty-one have become so while students here. One is a licentiate for the ministry, and several, we hope, will enter that calling. Four of the college students are ladies. ”

“ Then the sick man, roused to momentary energy, asked questions‒a few that night, more the next day, until by degrees he learned all the story of poor Ching’s conversion; his eager desire for learning, and as he read the Bible more and more to his now willing listener, a new light and hope dawned for the sick man.
We cannot take space to tell minutely how Ching cried and rejoiced when one day Mr. Fairfax had a lawyer come and so arrange his will as to handsomely endow the college, also giving Ching‒faithful boy that he was‒a “chance;” ”

“ That they are in great part either students or graduates of the Storrs school will explain the reason of any unusual proficiency. The majority of the children in our Sunday-school are as wide-awake, active, keen, as you will find anywhere, and any dull, prosy, goody-good teacher will find ours the best school in the world‒to stay away from.
At three o’clock we gather at the first church service of the day. This is Communion with us, and in connection with the administration of the Sacrament, a brother recently chosen deacon is to be set apart for that office. ”

“ We needed $125,000 to meet the total demands due February 28, and our receipts at that date are $100,045.97, a deficiency of about $25,000.
To us there is the choice between a debt and retrenchment; with our patrons, whose servants we are, is the opportunity of relief. We dare not make a debt; we are held to this by our pledge to our friends, and by our past bitter experience. Retrenchment is a distressing alternative. It will check the progress along the whole line of our work. The increased receipts of the past two years have given to the colored people a new impulse of hope and activity. ”

“ From time to time Congress has made most liberal grants of this land to the new States for school purposes, so that Minnesota, for example, has realized from her share, or has the land from which, at the same rate of sale, she can realize a fund of $20,000,000 for educational purposes, while the old States have not had a dollar, excepting their share in the grant for the endowment of agricultural colleges by Act of 1862, in which the new States as well as the old shared ratably. ”

“ Monday is not the best day for school, as all teachers know. Every man now springs to his pencil and paper, [108] taking down another lecture to be studied and recited to-morrow. This time it is Psalm xxii., as this one is classed with Psalms xvi., xl. and lxix. They write rapidly, copy into their lecture books after going to their rooms, also paste in “proof texts,” memorize verses 14–21, examine reference books, one or two theories, and in general get ready for another day. This class has no time for idleness, and I am glad to say desires none. ”

“ From one to two each day they come for old clothes and new teaching. Then came the Northern mail; afterwards the students’ mid-week prayer-meeting. Here teachers and scholars are co-workers, and each strengthened by the others’ prayers. Baptized anew, I sought the abodes of poverty and wretchedness. Sinning women turned their eyes for the moment from the king of the carnival to the King of Heaven. The Chinamen were very busy, but Yam stopped to say, “I bring more boyee next Sunday.” Little Joe darted round the corner to ask, “Gwine to have Sunday-school to-day, teacher?” ”

“ Business men can benefit themselves by advertising in a periodical that has a circulation of 20,000 copies monthly and that goes to many of the best men and families in the land. Will not our friends aid us to make this plan a success?
We nevertheless renew the offer hitherto made, that the Missionary will be sent gratuitously, if desired, to the Missionaries of the Association; to Life Members; to all Clergymen who take up collections for the Association; to Superintendents of Sabbath-schools; to College Libraries ”

“ I may say that I have all along felt that while things are not as we could wish, that yet a way would be opened for us to go forward. I cannot bring myself to turn around now and go back, without at least seeing the Sobat. We both feel that nothing short of actual danger to life ought to turn us back from our purpose after coming so far, if we can find the means to go on.
2. To wait here till a government steamer is sent up to Gondokoro, take passage in it and see the country as best we can. The most we can learn about this plan is that no steamer is likely to leave here in less than a month ”

“ There are in the United States 6,239,958 persons, ten years of age or over, who cannot write their names. More than three-fourths of these are found in the old slave States. More than one-half of the whole number are colored. If the general government should provide means to sustain a school for this class alone for three months in the year, at a salary for the teachers of $30 per month for a school of 30 pupils, it would require the sum of $18,719,958. ”

“ It must stand in the intelligence and virtue of its citizens. It were a solecism in logic and common sense to admit the nation’s right to manumit the slave as a war measure, and equip him with the ballot as a reconstructive measure necessary to the safety of the republic, but deny at once the right and the duty of qualifying him for the duties of citizenship when an understanding of these duties is also essential to that safety. ”

“ The bell strikes at 10 sharp, and nine intelligent-looking young men, whose average age is about twenty-seven, are soon in their seats and the lecturer in his chair. A brief prayer for the blessing of Heaven on the hour’s work is offered, all standing with folded arms and bowed heads. Then follows a review of the last lecture for twenty minutes, each pupil rising in his place and reciting without questions. Questions and explanations must come afterwards. They know in brief what they are expected to recite, for it was written the day previous in their lecture books. ”

“ Scattered through different grades we have 12, taking, in addition to other studies, one hour a day of special instruction with reference to the ministry. Twenty-four have already graduated from college, one of whom is dead. Of the others, one is a lawyer, one is a minister, five are learning professions, three being the ministry, and all the rest are teaching, many of whom occupy important positions, one being a professor in this University. ”

“ The Sunday School Times is a large 16-page weekly paper, and is used by more than 40,000 teachers. You will at least wish to try it for three months, if you are not already a subscriber. At the end of three mouths, if you feel that your investment has not been a good one, the publisher will send the money back to you. The Scholars’ Quarterly, published at the same office, would help your scholars. Its beautiful double-page colored map is alone worth the price of the book. Send seven cents for a specimen copy. ”

“ The Bible Commentary was begun ten years ago, with the object of making available to students of the Scriptures and ordinary lay readers the accumulated treasures of modern antiquarian and philological research.
The contributors are in every case men who have made special investigation in some department of Biblical learning, and have been chosen for their special fitness. More than forty of the best English scholars have united to make this Commentary the most scholarly, instructive and valuable that exists for the general reader. ”

“ The constitutional right to use the same power, which is now invoked to qualify the voter for the duty with which the general government has charged him, has been exercised so many times in regard to less important matters that precedents are not wanting to justify this application of it, even to one who wishes to know that a thing has been done before he will believe it can be done. ”

“ Our friends in the North will be glad to know that of the nearly 100 awakened and the 66 converted only six manifested any undue excitement, and but one of the number had been an attendant upon our church services. The church is stronger in every respect. The average attendance upon our Sabbath services is larger by nearly 100, and there is every indication of a steady and healthful growth.
HOW THE FREEDMEN CHILDREN DO IT.
Mr. E. C. Silsby, of Selma, Ala., writes:
Our Sunday-school have been interested in the proposed missionary steamboat “John Brown,” for the Mendi Mission. ”

“ The heathen Chinese offer prayer to the God of war and wealth, etc., but our prayer was that they might know the true God.
At a little before six A.M. our Chinese friends began to come to wish us a Happy New Year. At nine A.M. a delightful union prayer-meeting was held by the five different denominations. At 11 A.M. we again assembled at our Association rooms, when Rev. W. C. Pond addressed us, and gave us a motto for the new year, with good advice, which I hope we shall all follow. The meeting of the General Association was held at seven P.M., and was the best yearly meeting we ever had. ”

“ The music room we must pass by, and we can but glance into the vocal class of 50 from the Normal department to notice that they are reading music quite readily under the very successful instruction of the music teacher.
A DAY AMONG THE LOWLY, FEB. 16, 1882. By Miss Lena Saunders, New Orleans.
Thursday is visiting day. No mothers’ meeting nor sewing school. My early morning visit to the Colored Orphanage made and prayer said, I called upon the sick deacon. Armed with his blessing, my Bible and basket of creature comforts I went on. Aunt Patience’s humble home of one room came first. ”

“ In some cases classes of different grades are united in the same study, and students of the higher Normal course recite with college students. The present senior class has never been taught separately. The imaginary visitor, as he goes from room to room to-day, will not see much that is peculiar either in classes or teaching. ”

“ A Northern man now resident in Florida, and always, both North and South, a warm friend of our work among the colored people, after reading in our notice of the Nashville Conference, the appeal for another Theological Seminary further South, gives the whole matter not only a most cordial, but practical, indorsement by pledging himself “to be one of ten or twenty or fifty to contribute $1,000 each to make a beginning in the good work.” ”

“ It was a very tender and impressive scene where among the “inquirers after God” were so many of our bright, mature students. We hope most earnestly that they all may be strong for God and everything that is good.
On the first Sabbath in February, 81 were received to Central Church on profession of their faith, and on the two succeeding Sabbaths four more, 35 in all. I mention, as a fact showing the prevalence of infant baptism, that of the 35 admitted on profession only nine received baptism, the remaining 26 having been christened. ”

“ How long it would take that State to make intelligent and safe voters of her citizens at that rate is matter for sober reflection, not alone to the politician, who remembers what the electoral vote of that State is for President, but to every citizen. ”

“ The average time spent by each of the thirty-two college students thus far under our instruction is four and nine-sixteenths years. Some have been with us as long as seven or eight years. The average time is growing less with better schools and increased facilities elsewhere. Quite a number now come to us prepared to enter the college preparatory course, and, occasionally, one fitted to enter college. A college planted in an intelligent community takes root at once in a soil prepared, and soon brings fruitage. ”