Читать книгу: «The American Missionary. Volume 50, No. 08, August, 1896», страница 5

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There is an old colored man in Wilkes county who has never had his membership changed from the white people's church at Independence. He belonged to it when a slave and has held on to it. He attends services regularly and does not intrude upon the congregation, but sits quietly on the steps and listens to the sermon.—Atlanta Constitution.

A LESSON IN HOME BUILDING

By a Teacher

Andersonville, Ga

A woman came in this evening to sell strawberries which were neatly covered with a bit of white cloth. She looked around our sitting-room and shook her turbaned head, saying, "I sure would be afraid to live in this house." "Why," I asked, curious to know what fearful thing she saw in her glance. "Oh, it's so big, and has so many rooms." Our cozy home, so snug, with not an inch of unused room, that we call our "Bird's Nest!" Alas for the people that do not feel at home save in a one-roomed cabin, and do not feel the necessity of work unless they are hungry. I long so, sometimes, for something that will make this people hungry and thirsty for better things, that will make them dissatisfied with the things that content them now. The longing is sure to come, if we can have patience to wait.

A woman a short distance away lives in a house whose roof lets in the water in streams during a heavy rain. She called on us in the spring so hoarse that she could hardly speak. A few questions brought out the trouble, and revealed the fact that she owned a pile of lumber near by. I asked her why they did not repair it. She thought it too old, and the reason she gave for not building a new one was that she was waiting for her "old man" to begin. I found that her daughter was teaching school in the country, and had $25 already due her that she could use for the work. I told her to have one room put up at once, and build others as she had money. She thought a little, then said, "Tell me all about it, and I'll do just as you say." Now the room is nearly finished (not ceiled or plastered, for such extras are almost unknown), and a prouder woman would be hard to find. All are not so willing to be taught, but I rejoice over every improvement.

AMONG THE INDIANS

CLOSING EXERCISES AT SANTEE NORMAL SCHOOL

By Miss Edith Leonard

The last busy days of the school year are over. We have gathered the first fruits of our work; we hope there will be a greater harvest in years to come.

At the communion service, on June 7, three of our pupils were received into the church. The next Thursday came the evening of declamations, recitations, and music, for which the pupils had been preparing. During the last four weeks it was a common thing to find a boy declaiming to an imaginary audience in the schoolroom, or to find a girl reciting in some secluded spot in the yard, or on the hills in the pasture. In most schools that is nothing worthy of remark, but to us it shows that the young people are beginning to feel that their success depends on their own efforts.

When the evening came we had an enjoyable entertainment. The house was decorated with the tall, graceful stems of the Solomon's Seal, and the platform had a rug and potted plants upon it, and our two beautiful flags draped behind it.

Among the recitations, "Betty, the Bound Girl," and "The Peril of a Passenger Train," were well rendered. Lowell's "A Day in June" was given with a pleasant voice and manner that fitted the poem. There was an organ solo, an organ duet, and a sprightly little song by a quartet, "All Among the Barley." Among the best things were part of an address by Channing on "Distinction of Mind and Material Forms," and one by Mitchell on "The First View of the Heavens." The thoughts were noble and nobly expressed, and the young men delivered them with thoughtfulness and appreciation, which made us glad, especially as these addresses were their own choice.

Immediately after these exercises we all adjourned to the dining room to see what the girls had done in their little missionary society. Here was a table gay with pretty articles they had made. Among them were a nice comfortable, some embroidered doilies, chair pillows, handkerchief cases, and other things. Most of them were quickly sold. There was also ice-cream and cake for sale. The girls took about seventeen dollars by their fair, and the proceeds are to go to the A.M.A.

The next day was the last. We planned to have an exhibition of school and industrial work during the forenoon, and parade of cadets in the afternoon. And, in order to give the pupils a little uplift of enthusiasm in a good cause, we arranged to have a Christian Endeavor rally of societies from five neighboring towns, and also to invite the members of two Sunday-schools that are bravely "lifting the gospel banner," each in a scattered community near by, where there is no church.

The people began to arrive about half-past ten. One party came in a large farm wagon made gay with flags.

We hastened to take them about. In the blacksmith shop, two young men who had been in school only a year, were making some steel nut-crackers. A table covered with hooks, bolts, chains, towels, ice-picks, etc., represented the work done during the year. In the printing office, the boys were turning the press, and printing our Indian paper. The carpenter-shop exhibit contained some neat boxes, tables, and cabinets, and here some small boys were at work making joints. In the cooking school, the girls were making biscuits, coffee, and corn-bread, while the table was covered with nice loaves of bread, cake, rolls, and cookies, made the day before. Here, also, the girls' sewing was displayed. There was a neat set of doll's clothing, a doll's mattress, pillows, sheets, and pillow-cases, a number of boys' shirts ready for use in the school, beside other clothing for the girls.

The primary schoolroom contained clay animals, weaving and sewing done by the kindergarten class, and some neat language and number work by the older pupils. The other schoolrooms also had illustrated language work, examination papers, maps on paper and in sand, and a collection of botanical specimens.

About seventy-five visitors came from neighboring towns. They enjoyed looking at the school work, and they enjoyed their lunch under the trees, and the marching and drilling of the boys with their wooden guns.

But the best thing in the day was the meeting in the afternoon. Our Christian Endeavor guests, with the school and some of the agency people and neighboring Indians, filled the chapel full. Several of the societies had pretty banners, and it was inspiring to see them come marching in. The meeting was just a warm-hearted Christian Endeavor meeting. Each society responded by a verse of Scripture recited in concert, or a song, or by the words of some member chosen to represent them. There was also time for volunteer prayers and testimonies, and a number of songs. We were all glad to be there—glad to belong to a great army of Christian workers—and we believe our boys and girls will not forget it, but that the thoughts of that hour will help to make them strong.

After these guests went home, there yet remained the principal's reception in the evening, where the school gathered with our Agency and Indian friends, to talk a little while and say goodbye. There was one delightful little surprise when Dr. Riggs called up thirteen of the Indian girls and gave to each, as a reward for faithful, successful work in bread-making, a copy of a cook-book to take home with her. The pupils enjoyed all these last days, but especially the Christian Endeavor rally, and we shall remember this year's close as our Christian Endeavor commencement.