Various

“ The work done in the last year leads me to believe that there should be no cutting down in any part of the work of Ballard school, which I regard as one of the most promising of the many American Missionary Association schools, and especially should there be no cutting in either of the industrial departments. More than any one thing, these people need to be taught the use of time and the saving of money; this, with the intellectual and moral training in our schools, will make full grown men and women. The work-begun is one that should be pursued with no let up. ”

“ Of a hundred pupils not one has died or been seriously sick during the year—a fact that speaks much for the sanitary condition of the school.
The concluding exercises, beginning with our annual picnic, May 19th, have all been interesting. The literary societies have done themselves much credit. The closing day, May 30th, brought together from near and far an assembly of all sorts and conditions, of every hue from fairest blonde to ebony, which completely filled the spacious chapel. ”

“ There is no set of witnesses more competent to tell of the actual situation at the South, its home life, its industries, its struggle with difficulties, than these same teachers. Sometimes the teachers have been there but a short time and their labors may have been confined to one locality, but in that narrow range their observations among the colored people have been most minute. They have watched the operations of the pupils closely from day to day, and have been brought constantly in contact with the people in their cabins, in their work, and in their trials. ”

“ The most spiritual feature of our closing exercises was on Tuesday morning, when at the opening hour the house was filled with friends to unite in a "Congregational love-feast," as they called it. We had several clergymen and teachers, and one lawyer and a host of friends to cheer us with their words, or to aid us in our service of song and prayer. One friend told of a wealthy colored man who had pledged to give three thousand dollars to the American Missionary Association to carry on these Christian schools, although he himself is not a Christian. ”

“ The church was crowded as never before, not even at its dedication. The topic, "The satisfied soul," was handled with marked ability, and the audience was deeply moved. On Monday our school-rooms were visited by many friends, and our ex-graduates from Tougaloo were welcomed home. The "students'" sociable at night was a pleasant affair, and gave us a chance to plan with our scholars about their work this summer. All are eager for work that they may enter school in the fall; all seem ready to do whatever they can find to do. ”

“ Some of the boys had been sick for months on account, I think, of the filth surrounding our mission rooms, and I believe it was the Lord's will that it should burn, and besides I am certain that we can do a better work where we are. The Chinamen are driven from their nests, and I believe many will come to school now. They are disgusted with their idols, because they did not save them from the fire. About six Chinese women were driven out, so I will commence work with them soon, if possible. Then I find a good many little children, too, and I will try to get some Christian lady to teach them. ”

“ The Manual Training Department has also this year received new impetus. It includes work in wood and iron, and industrial drawing. The methods are those of the most modern and most approved schools for manual training. Sixty boys have had the woodworking, and twenty the forging. Industrial drawing has been the new feature of the year. There are twenty new and complete sets of drawing tools. For the lower grades there is elementary or "one view drawing," and in the normal grades both boys and girls have advanced work that includes the fundamentals of machine and architectural drawing. ”

“ The exercises were all excellent, although they were greatly marred by the vast audience on so warm a night. There were no failures, but fine delivery and appearance. The mayor of the city was pleased to pronounce it "grand."
And so closed our school year, but "the half has not been told" if we omit to tell of the spiritual growth. Twenty-four in our school have united with our church, almost as many more with other denominations, and some have now gone to their own homes, and will there confess what Christ has done for them this year. It has been a beautiful year. ”

“ For the first time in years Commencement day was showery, but a large audience assembled to see the normal graduation. Seven graduated, and their orations and essays were highly creditable. The annual address was given by Rev. B. F. Ousley, now professor in the Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College at Rodney, Miss., the State institution for colored young men, and formerly a missionary of the American Board in South Africa. It was a clear, thoughtful, and in every way admirable presentation of the qualifications of "The Man for the Age." ”

“ The work in all the grades reflects much credit on the teachers, but no work is more marked than that of the industrial department. The display was much more imposing than was thought possible, the work having been delayed until late in the year; it seemed at first unwise to try to make any display at all, but all felt paid for the attempt. In the girls' department we found work of all grades of sewing, dresses, waists, aprons and other articles of wearing apparel, also darning, matching, buttonholes, quilting, etc. ”

“ Our music, too, rendered by young people whose previous practice, for the most part, extended no farther than Gospel hymns or plantation melodies, could not have failed to convince one of careful drill and earnest effort, and was a very pleasurable part of the day's programme. ”

“ We hope during the coming year to enlarge and improve the department. Extending our sincere thanks to the kind friends who have sent us supplies for the sewing, we would, by the way, very modestly suggest that a good sewing machine is needed here, and if one should be forthcoming from the beneficent ones who have an especial interest in this most important branch of education, we should indeed hail its advent with fervent gratitude. ”

“ People of all classes came in from the country for miles around, willing to leave their fields and work to attend the services. Many of the older inhabitants of the town said that such a revival had not been known since before the war, for in a few days the converts reached the number of one hundred and sixteen. As a result, a goodly number were added to the Sunday-school. A society of Christian Endeavor was organized and a weekly prayer-meeting started, the young converts readily taking part. ”

“ They have had the unbroken toil of eight or ten months in the South, far from their homes and friends, finding little companionship except with the pupils and their parents, sometimes ostracized and scorned by the whites—and yet not always—for we rejoice to say that there are many localities in the South where the work of our teachers is appreciated and where they are themselves treated with Christian courtesy by the whites. ”

“ Those who struggle so courageously and perseveringly for an education do not need to be pitied, but they need to be aided and encouraged. May the Lord inspire those who can to hold out a helping hand and so fulfill their own prayer, "Thy Kingdom come." ”

“ Many of the young ladies ere this have gone back to their homes in the country, others to their summer schools, and from these services will carry with them the happy influence of the gospel which will in turn reach the ears of those entrusted to their care, the result of which will be many a sad heart made glad, and many a dark home brightened, and, above all, God will be glorified. ”

“ The untold good that is being done by the various institutions under the American Missionary Association will never be known this side of eternity, and wherever I have gone I have found the people speaking in the highest terms of praise of the efforts which are being put forth to help raise the standard already attained. ”

“ Upon the trained young women who can make good homes depends very largely the future of the Negro race.
AGRICULTURE.
From the earliest history of the school there has been attention paid to agriculture, and each year sees development in the acreage under cultivation and the quantity of produce raised. This year nearly all the fresh [Pg 254] meat and the milk, sweet potatoes, molasses, vegetables, etc., needed by the large boarding department, have been raised on the farm, and some things have been marketed, besides the large amount of corn and hay needed upon so large a plantation. ”

“ Mathematics is carried through trigonometry and surveying. Latin and music are taught, also, as well as the ordinary studies of the common and high schools. Above one hundred and fifty pupils, from a dozen different States, were on the roll of the past term. The teachers are of the highest order and their efficiency was emphatically demonstrated by the splendid work of last night's exercises. ”

“ On Sunday, President Woodworth's baccalaureate was from the text, "He endured as seeing him who is invisible." The farewell prayer-meeting in the evening, conducted by Miss Page, valedictorian of the graduating class, was peculiarly rich and helpful in its reminiscences, forecastings and inspirations. All the graduates go out as earnest Christians. The boys' gymnastic exhibition on Monday evening drew a very interested audience, and the eighth grade exercises on Tuesday morning were admirable. ”

“ Another feature has been the opening up of the "Tougaloo University Addition to Tougaloo." About one hundred and twenty acres of university land have been surveyed and plotted off into home lots of about five acres each, to be sold to former students of the school and to others who desire to educate their children at Tougaloo. Already several lots have been taken and homes built, and in a few years there will be quite a little educational community. ”

“ We need not ask their friends at the North to welcome these returned workers with that kindness that is restful, but we do ask that the facts they reveal in regard to the South may be heard and heeded. ”

“ The exercises consisted of declamations by a number of young men, and recitations by young women, interspersed with music by a choir selected from the school. Although my boys and girls wear dark skins and come from the rice field and turpentine swamp, and their native speech is sometimes little better than a jargon, still I would not have hesitated to put them beside boys and girls coming from much more favorable surroundings. ”

“ These industries, for which over $50 had been solicited the past year, were fully shown at Burrell School building during the week on public days when some fifty patrons favored us with their presence and praise, former pupils lamenting the lack of these features during their school days.
BIBLE STUDY.
Better than all special attractions, than the general interest in texts and teachers, has been the marked interest in Bible study and evident conversion of a number of our pupils whose lives show a changed purpose. ”

“ Every seat was occupied and all standing room, and it was clearly shown that the chapel at Tougaloo is all too small. Over one hundred and fifty of the audience of about six hundred were white. Better chorus work is not often heard. Tougaloo is fortunate not only in having had competent music teachers, but in having in Prof. Hill, Dean of the Normal Department, a most capable musician. ”

“ To these influences they yield a most hearty response, and no brighter reports will be found than from these mountain regions.
The Indians have from the outset been the subjects of our watchful care, and with some variation in their activity, the services among them have brought forth some of the brightest results. ”

“ Mr. W. is not a Congregationalist, nor is he a minister of the gospel, but he and his estimable wife are doing good work for Christ in their own community. This is by no means an isolated instance; all over our mountain country are schools established by the American Missionary Association, which are doing valuable work in and through their students.
WOMAN'S STATE ORGANIZATIONS. MAINE. Woman's Aid to A. M. A. State Committee—Mrs. C. A. Woodbury, Woodfords;
Mrs. A. T. Burbank, Yarmouth;
Mrs. Helen Quimby, Bangor. NEW HAMPSHIRE. Female Cent Institution and Home Miss. Union. ”

“ This year sixteen girls have had this most important training, the last four in the new cottage. Of this four, three were in the graduating Normal class. The exhibits of the cooking and sewing classes at Commencement, consisting of cakes, biscuits, confectionery, etc., and a great variety of well made and useful garments, were highly praised, and a large number sold to visitors. Few schools have better facilities for the practical and most important work of developing homemakers than has Tougaloo. ”

“ Revivals during the past year of greater power than any reported from any other part of the field were experienced in these Indian churches.
The Chinese work on the Pacific Coast, under the admirable leadership [Pg 251] of Dr. Pond, has made steady progress in the conversion of souls here and in carrying the gospel to China.
The mission in Alaska, brought to so sudden and terrible a close by the murder of Mr. Thornton, is expected to be opened again this summer by the return of Mr. and Mrs. ”

“ These people are fond of public exercises, and give large audiences and interested attention that seem to know no diminution, even when some twenty closing exercises of the different grades occur, as within the past ten days. Burrell came in for her share, beginning with the annual sermon by the principal on the 20th of May, and offering two evening programmes on the 24th and 25th in the Congregational Church, each well patronized, the last named securing an especially full house. ”