gaining. Not very rapidly, but gaining. The lawless part of the South—and there is a lawless part—is as lawless as ever. The lower and more violent elements, however, are but a small part of the Southern people. Still they know that the general public opinion is not positive enough to condemn them in any question between the negroes and the whites; hence they are not afraid to do what they will with the negro. The great body of the Southern people are law-abiding, with the single exception that they do not propose to respect the Fifteenth Amendment. They are committed against this. They deprecate lawlessness. They are personally kind to the negroes. They are busy in the ordinary duties of life, but the lawless know that these good people will never disturb them in their injustices to the negro. Then, there is a relatively small element of the people who are prophets of a better day. They themselves often feel the slavery of a public opinion which puts odium upon them when they are too friendly in behalf of the oppressed colored man. They cannot oppose many things which they feel to be wrong without losing their influence. These seers of the future are in hearty sympathy with our work and give it such personal encouragement as they may under the tyrannical conditions of a public opinion not friendly to equal rights on the part of the negro.

There is a great gain, also, in Southern public opinion as to the capacity of the colored man and his possible future. This gain is seen in the better provisions for the colored public schools, in towns and cities. The schools of the A.M.A. are both object lessons and incentives for the education of the white as well as the colored in the public schools. The South is exceedingly sensitive as to the opinion of the North. A trifle of published criticism, for example, goes through the Southern papers with rebuttals enough to break down a national constitution. An imperfect and incorrect report of an interview, which lived just long enough to be printed, has been lately passionately confuted in certain Southern newspapers with a profusion of epithets which were out of all proportion to the harmless nonsense committed to the press by an untrained reporter—a new illustration of the extreme sensitiveness of the South to Northern opinion. Northern sentiment is often ridiculed, and frequently sends not a few Southern newspapers into spasms, but it is heeded. Let it be kindly and true, and pressed fraternally and constantly "In His Name" who came

"To take away transgressions
And set the captive free."

[pg 97]

THE VALUE OF PURE AND INTELLIGENT CHURCHES.

The extract given below has the true ring. It is from one of the pastors of the American Missionary Association educated at Tougaloo and Howard Theological Seminary. If sometimes our church work seems small and discouraging there are many things to be remembered. Many times we are told by the pastors of our churches "we could have larger churches and more of them if we would accept the standards of those about us." Moreover, some little church with fifty members may be doing more for the cause of Christ than some big church of ten times the number. But, read the extract:

"In the battle of Milliken's Bend, a color bearer was seen far in advance of his company. The captain shouted to him, 'Bring those colors back to the army!' The reply was sent back, 'Bring the army up to the colors.'

"Just so, in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the South generally, our church is lifting up the standard, and although men are constantly trying to get the standard bearer to fall back to the army of biased, narrow humanity, the church ever shouts back the reply of the immortal color bearer, 'Bring the army up to the colors.'

"Every man and woman going out from our schools is imbued with the thought that he or she is to hold up the standard of God—not man—for the people. Every church, school or mission fostered by the A.M.A. is holding up the highest ideals of all life. And while our work does not grow in numbers as rapidly as we could wish, we are broadcasting the good seeds of the Kingdom over all the land, and here and there they are springing into life, bringing forth fruit—some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold; so we go on grinding out the grist ever and anon holding one for toll. I am not ignorant of what other churches are doing, and some are doing nobly, but ours is the great work. It has been my observation, that wherever an enterprising work is being carried on in church or school, the leading force is generally the product of Congregational effort, directly or indirectly. So take away our work, then it would be like blotting out the sun, moon and most of the stars from the sky."

A COLORED MAN WINS.—Charles W. Wood, of Chicago, a colored contestant for oratorical honors, has won the first prize in Beloit College, Wis. A few years ago he was a newsboy upon the street, but he made up his mind to have an education. With the aid of a generous patron he has nearly completed his college course and justified the high hopes of his many friends.

[pg 98]

TILLOTSON, AUSTIN, TEXAS.

In the year 1875 the Rev. George J. Tillotson, of Connecticut, visited various points of the South with a view to the establishment of a school. He was accompanied by a secretary of the Association. After a careful survey they selected Austin, Texas, as the most promising point. About twenty-five acres of partially wooded land just beyond the eastern boundary of the city of Austin were purchased for $5,000, the gift of Mr. Tillotson. In the following year a charter was obtained and the work of raising money for the building was entered upon. The funds were finally secured, and in 1879 the foundations were laid, and the building, 104 feet in length and 42 in depth, constructed of white pressed brick with dress stone trimmings, rose to its five stories in height. On the 17th of January, 1881, the school opened. Two of the five floors were then open spaces. Eleven pupils only were enrolled at the beginning, but the term closed in June with 107. During this year the building was completed and named "Allen Hall," in honor of one of the largest givers. At the opening of the fall term the beginning of the next year, the accommodations were taxed to the utmost. In August, 1882, the report reads, "Allen Hall is full to repletion, 100 in the boarding department. Work cannot unfold for need of more room. Young men and young women in the same building make an urgent appeal for a new building."

At no time since the beginning of the second year have there been adequate accommodations for all desiring to attend.

For ten years the institution under the name of "Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute" has furnished to students from all parts of the great State of Texas with its half million of colored people, and from other States, and from Mexico, not only an opportunity to acquire a thoroughly practical common-school education, but also a more extended course to prepare students for entrance to the highest educational institutions in the land; and a normal training course for teachers for all positions in the public schools. Within this period of time a church has been formed for the students of the institution and others, which has been regularly ministered to by the president of the institution.

In the year 1888 a building for carpentry and manual instruction was erected and a teacher was appointed for industrial training.

The picture following is that of Allen Hall as it looks down upon the valley of the river Colorado. In every direction the views are of great extent, and include many picturesque scenes. The State capitol—a mile distant—and the various public buildings of Austin, are before the eye. Since electricity has