The American Missionary. Volume 44, No. 06, June, 1890

The hearts of men, and by thy alchemy
Divine, resolve, remelt, aye, e'en recast
The thought and very being! Selfish man,
So filled with prejudice and hate hath need,
O heavenly messenger, of all thy aid.

And as thy votaries in anthems sing
With the immortal Haydn, and do praise
Creative Wisdom, Who, of one blood made
All Nations for to dwell on earth in love,
Then let celestial fires descend and burn
Complete, the offering of the lips, and purge

The dross of caste and hate from every soul!
This do, for Satan hath his spectrum set
Before the door of human hearts and cast
Upon the screen the separated lines
Of black and red and yellow—white forsooth,
While these should mingle in that glorious Sun

That shines alike on all, impartially.
Then come, O Music, re-resolve the lines,
These color-lines, and let the sun's pure ray
Beam forth in unobstructed light and love,
Transmuting, by his touch, these human hearts,
Till they shall mirror forth the Golden Rule.

ITEMS

Everywhere the colored contestants in Civil Service examinations succeed admirably in their work. In March just past, there was a competitive examination held in the Custom House at Newark, N.J., for clerkships. Out of forty-three contestants, Mr. J.N. Vandewall, a well known young colored man, stood No. 1, 96 per cent. There was only one other colored contestant, Mr. G.W. Harris. He stood fifth, with an average of 86 per cent.

Mr. A.C. Garner, our colored representative in the Chicago Theological Seminary, passed an excellent examination last week, and received praise not only from his Professors but from his student friends as well. Out of a class of forty, he was one of seven chosen by the Professor of Elocution to represent the class in oratory at the closing exercises held last week.

During the recent illness of one of our teachers in the South, the pastor of the Church called every Sunday for volunteers as watchers during the week. There was always a ready response from the church members. The teacher relates that before leaving him in the morning, these watchers would almost invariably kneel down by his bedside and offer up earnest, fervent prayers for his recovery. He was impressed with the simple faith and trust in God of these colored Christians, their belief in prayer and the contrast between them and an equal number of white brethren under the same circumstances.

THE SOUTH

OUR SCHOOL WORK

PROGRESS—OVER-CROWDING

From Wilmington, N.C.—Instead of sixty pupils as a year or two ago, we now have over ninety, and next year the number will be fully one hundred or more, if we have room. The classes are very large.

From Grand View, Tenn.—The classes are full and the accommodations inadequate. The school numbers one hundred and eleven. It is necessary to crowd four boys into each room of the Boys' Hall. Four boys are boarding themselves in a shackly log building at the foot of the hill. Their grit is admirable.

From Tougaloo, Miss.—Both the dormitories are crowded. The Ladies' Hall is supposed to accommodate seventy-five girls. One hundred and six are crowded into it to-day. We have turned away nearly one hundred more because we had not room for them. Every indication is that the crowd of applicants will be greater next year than ever. Already applications are coming in. The American Missionary Association has the lead in Mississippi to-day.

From Marion, Ala.—We need another grade established. Our primary has numbered nearly or quite one hundred pupils. The average attendance has been large and the school-room over-crowded. Three grades are now virtually working in the primary department. We may look for a large increase of attendance in all grades next year.

From Florence, Ala.—We need a building if the school is to be continued. We are now inconveniently crowded, one hundred and sixty children in a 20 x 40 room, with all the teaching to be done in the same. To fail in giving us a building will certainly narrow our usefulness in this field. Our school is constantly increasing in popularity. We can safely count on an enrollment of over two hundred next year, with someplace to accommodate them.

From Meridian, Miss.—The work of the school is hindered by lack of room. We have enrolled this year two hundred and thirty two pupils, and many have been turned off because we could not seat them. We opened in December of 1888 with twenty-eight pupils. A school for more advanced pupils is needed in this part of Mississippi. We have thirty young people in school who come from the five adjoining counties. They are boarding in good families and I have every reason to believe that they have used their time and opportunities well; most of them are this summer to teach.

From Straight University, N.O.—It has been a golden year for Straight University. Financially it has been our best year. A larger proportion of students able to pay came to us. We want to grow, and have every opportunity to do so save that our quarters are too small. We have turned away during the year probably two hundred applicants, many of them for the boarding department. We have had to put cots in nearly all the rooms, packing them too full for comfort, as it was very hard to say No! to young people who came hundreds of miles and begged tearfully for admission. The school has grown during the last eight years from two hundred to six hundred, and only is not one thousand because we had no room for them. Our graduates are filling important positions all over the South. Several are Superintendents in Texas, Kansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. One holds an important office in Honduras; others are doing good work in Cuba and Mexico. Eight are filling important positions in this city. We have no trouble in getting positions for our young people. Indeed, we cannot supply as fast as demanded. Often as many as twenty are called for when we have none to send.

From Fisk University, Nashville.—The evidence of progress in the educational department of the University is found in the very marked increase of numbers in the first year of our normal course and of our college preparatory department. Last year there were fifteen in the first year of the latter department; this year there are thirty-one. Last year there were thirteen in the first year of the normal department; this year there are thirty-one. Last year there were in the normal, college, preparatory and college departments, one hundred and forty-five students; this year there are one hundred and seventy-six. At the coming Commencement, we expect to graduate twelve young men, and from the normal ten young women and one young man; making a total of twenty-three. This is a little more than one-sixth of the entire number of present graduates from these departments.

From a Teacher in the Tennessee Mountains:—Let me tell you of the general interest manifest in several of the counties west and north of us in attending this school. One of our students visited many cabins over the mountains during his vacation, and found that school advantages were very scarce and poor. He found poverty and ignorance of the world and of books. Some of the people are still using the old-time method of kindling their fires by flint and steel instead of matches. He met many young people who were thirsting for books and schools, also numbers who had struggled up through the darkness to become teachers in the neighborhoods. These almost invariably wish to come to our school, and say they shall be here as soon as their schools close. Many are too poor to come. This is true of a large number of young girls, who would come if they could work for their board or in any possible way pay for it. Whoever will provide funds to meet the expenses of these neglected girls, and place them at our school, and prepare them for the future duties of life, will be doing an angelic work, and in the end will do the greatest good that can be done to this people. Very much of the money spent for this mountain people will be the same as thrown away, if this effort is not made to educate the girls.

OUR CHURCH WORK

A letter from Rev. F.R. Sims of the Medway Congregational Church, McIntosh, Ga., reports that seventy persons have been added to that church on confession of faith, within the last four months.

From Knoxville, Tenn.:—Our attendance at preaching services has been large and attentive. On the second Sabbath of March the members and friends made special efforts for collection and raised $30. There has been a happy increase in the Sunday-school and the prayer meetings.

From Dudley, North Carolina;—It gives me much pleasure to write you that the Lord has abundantly blessed us in our work at this point.

For three weeks a revival, with much success, has been going on in my church, the Lord has been with us disturbing the slumber of the sleeping Christians and bringing sinners unto repentance. We have ten converts and ten more seeking the Lord. We are all very much encouraged and are now looking forward for a brighter and more encouraging future.

From Macon, Ga.—At our last communion we baptized and received four into our fellowship on confession of faith. They were all young people who are in school and full of promise. Others are expected to unite with us next month. There have been seventeen additions to the church in the last eleven months. There has been some real progress made by the church in all directions. I find in our church meetings a much more gentle spirit between the members than when I first came here, and I feel that this outward improvement is due to inward spiritual growth. I can see this growth in the prayers and testimonies of the weekly prayer meetings.

REVIVAL AT WILMINGTON, N.C

PROFESSOR GEORGE A. WOODARD

The revival which took place in this church the latter part of the winter was, in some respects, a model one.

At the close of one of the Wednesday evening prayer meetings, our pastor spoke to us with the view of ascertaining if the church were ready for special work; then he appointed another prayer meeting for Friday night. With faith, and resting upon the promises of God, the work was begun the next week. At first the attendance was small; but, as the meetings continued, the interest increased, and it became necessary to move into the large hall of the school.

It was evident throughout that God was in the work and that the Holy Spirit was striving mightily with sinners. A deep, quiet emotion pervaded the meetings, in strong contrast with the revivals held in many of the colored churches of the city, where the excitement becomes intense, and the confusion great. Their meetings are often continued until long after midnight, in a crowded, unventilated room, whereas ours never closed later than ten o'clock.

As a result of our revival, although other revivals were going on amongst the colored people at the same time, upwards of forty were born into the Kingdom, for some of whom, many, many prayers had been offered up; and all was done in answer to prayer. Among these were several cases of interest, two of which I will mention. One is that of an intelligent young man employed by the leading dentist of the city, for whom he does the mechanical work, which previously had to be sent North. Although of excellent character, he was a skeptic, reading the writings of Ingersoll, Paine, and others. For years, our teachers had taken a special interest in him laboring with him and praying for him, that he might come into the light He was induced to attend these meetings, and was finally led to believe that these things are so and to accept of the Saviour. He has gone earnestly to work to bring in other young men, teaches in the Sunday-school and is ready for any Christian work.

The other is that of a brawny brick mason, a great sinner, who, while earning excellent wages, often failed to bring home sufficient to feed and clothe his children; and when remonstrated with by his wife, would answer; "They are your children, you take care of them." All is changed now. He gets up early Sunday mornings, assists in getting the children ready for church, where the family, all neatly dressed, can be seen regularly every Sunday; and in the prayer meeting his voice is usually heard.

As a further result of this revival, the church has been greatly quickened, the members have been brought closer together in brotherly love, and God has given a fresh outpouring of his spirit.

On Easter morning, when a special communion service was held, twenty-nine of the new converts were received into our church, amidst the most touching and impressive services. But the revival has not stopped with the special meetings. After every Sunday evening service, an after-meeting has been held, in which several have been led to give their hearts to God. All of these meetings have been marked by the earnestness with which the church has labored for the salvation of those who were yet without, and more fervent prayers never ascended to the throne of grace.

FACTS ABOUT BALLARD SCHOOL, MACON, GA

The opening of the New Year saw manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our midst, and during the week of prayer there appeared to be a deep interest among the pupils. Our prayers seemed to take a new meaning, and we felt that they were about to be answered.

Nothing but God's Spirit could have laid the burden of souls upon so many hearts at once, or have bidden us speak to different ones, while our movements were almost unknown to one another.

In the meetings that were held in the different rooms, and those conducted in the High School, which were attended by some of the pupils from other grades, a large number expressed a desire to become Christians; and there were about sixty who gave their hearts to Christ. We rejoice greatly over the work of the Spirit, and have the assurance that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God."

The study of the Bible is an important feature in the school work. One hour each week is set apart for it. A visitor, passing from the lower grades up, on Friday afternoon, would find Bible work going on in every room. The work of the little ones is largely memorizing. The older ones have a systematic course. The outlines of Bible history are first carefully studied, then the more important events and characters in detail. Work in map-drawing is done in connection with all the lessons.

A short time ago, a middle-aged woman applied for admission to our school. She had been teaching for several years, but wanted to prepare herself for the teachers' examination by taking a short course of study. She was permitted to try the sixth grade examination and failed; then the fifth with like results; finally she was placed in the fourth grade, where it was discovered that she did not know the multiplication tables, and evidently had never heard of division. Her knowledge of spelling would not exceed that of an average third grade pupil, and she is called one of the best colored teachers in the county from which she came.