Rev. J. W. Roberts, Dallas, Texas, one of our theological graduates, and an address by Dr. Roy, exercises of our two literary societies, prize speaking and essays, public examinations, orations and essays on Commencement Day, and ending with a reception at the President's house. Others can judge better of the worth of some of these parts than the writer and his associates, but to us they seemed good. We were greatly encouraged, and feel that our friends and patrons would have been pleased had they been present.

The Alumni Association, formed three years ago, was represented on Commencement Day by Mrs. L. L. Wilson, who read an essay on "Homes and How to Make Them," and by Rev. J. W. Roberts, whose theme was "Exceptional Greatness." That afternoon the Alumni held a meeting in the college chapel, when representatives from States as far away as Arkansas and Texas were present, and others were heard from by letter.

At the business meeting it was determined to begin an Alumni fund, in aid either of members of the Association or the College.

The Exhibition of Industrial Work, both of the boys and girls, attracted much attention and warm commendation. The Slater Shop, with its facilities for instruction in much wood, little iron and some paint, made its first annual display, and those who believe in little other education for the child of the late slave, and those who differ from them, all agreed in the great advantages of this industrial training. The work exhibited was good; some of it very choice.

We feel that the College never had a better anniversary; take it all in all, never as good; but with continued help such as we need, by the favor of God this may well be dwarfed by the greater result of the near future. We are looking for that help with increasing confidence.

TOUGALOO COMMENCEMENT.

The unsurpassed wealth of our roses had just left their vanishing fragrance on the air, only the Cherokees being left in profusion to lend their peculiar charm to our closing exercises, but the grand old oaks standing like guardian sentinels around the grounds, in all the freshness of their early leafage and festooned with the Spanish moss, ever faithful to all seasons, gave to the place a patriarchal appearance, and an air of seclusion from temptation. The healthful cedar boughs and buds bestowed their fragrance like a closing benediction.

Sec. Powell came to us with his strong earnest words of cheer and a lecture on Slave Music, which our young people could illustrate and well appreciate. Gov. Lowry expressed a hearty commendation of the exhibition of work from the industrial department, as well as the orations, essays, dialogue, and declamation. The colloquy on our reading-room indicated that good use had been made of that room, even if the number of volunteers for furnishing news items after dinner had not always been as numerous as might be desired. Supt. Smith told us that many of the best teachers in the State come from this school. Dr. Galloway and the city fathers of Jackson showed their appreciation of the sentiments expressed by the young people, and we heartily wished that the dear, good, noble-hearted workers of the North could have been present, who have so generously opened their purses to educate and fit "our brother in black" for leading his race from a darkness more than "skin deep" to noble citizenship. We wish you could realize, as you only can by seeing it, what a stimulus every such work is to the white people of the South, for as Dr. Haygood stated in his closing address, "though Northern money generously erected these buildings and pays a large share of the salaries here, yet the State pays the young men and women who go out from this school to teach in the country schools."

Dear friends, your investments are bringing in grand returns, but the needs of this race are very great yet. It is sad to see the number who come to this institution with means to pay their expenses for only a part of the year, hoping to come back another year, and trusting that in some way they may be able to continue their studies.

A students' aid fund is much needed to assist worthy pupils. Aspirations are aroused that cannot be quenched. The daily lessons in keeping rooms tidy, in personal habits, in doing thoroughly whatever is undertaken, cannot be lost, even if pupils remain but a short time. The sentiment, that to work is an honor, to be idle a disgrace, is so infused into their daily life that we fully believe greater progress will be seen in the coming years than has been seen in the past. The spirit of those who have labored with these ardent aspirants for higher, better, nobler things has so entered into and permeated their very being, that it cannot lie dormant. Arouse and cultivate the best there is in this race, and you have something worth making a sacrifice for. God is showing us, by the way, that this is His own blessed work. We do not have to wait long years to reap; the sheaves are abundant every year. In one of our late prayer-meetings special causes for thanksgiving was the topic. There were many expressions of gratitude "for the Christian influence of our school." One young man said: "I am just as thankful for what I have learned in the workshop as in the school-room." After hearing of the 700,000 one-room log-cabins of the South, and the need there is of skilled workmen, we felt like singing an added song of praise as we looked through the work exhibited in wood, tin, iron, and cloth, and saw the promise of better things. Surely the young men who can exhibit such work will not allow their mothers, wives, and sisters to live in cabins through whose open roofs the stars are visible when they shine.

You would travel far to find a more temptingly spread table than the girls of Tougaloo are taught to prepare—all the eatables of their own make, even the delicious butter. Nowhere in New England need you look for a nicer-kept cabin and yard than some of those on the little homesteads lately purchased by President Pope, for one of his ideas of missionary work is to help the colored man get a home, having for corner-stones "Industry, Economy, Temperance, and Family Virtue."

TILLOTSON INSTITUTE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.

The third of June witnessed the close of another year of successful work at Tillotson Institute. Written examinations were held May 26-29. The results of this work, in a shape convenient for inspection, were placed in the reading room, and attracted no little attention. Oral public examinations were held June 1 and 2. These showed faithful work on the part of both teachers and pupils. The classes in United States history and geometry deserve special mention. The excitement of the occasion was a little too much for some of the young people, leading one to say that Riel was the Governor-General of Canada, while another remarked that Florida, being discovered on Easter Sunday, and being a land of flowers, was named the "Mayflower." These blunders, however, were speedily corrected by the pupils themselves.

The rhetorical exercises of Tuesday evening called out a very fine audience. The chapel was filled to overflowing. The exercises consisted of the usual programme of choruses, quartets, recitations, declamations, essays, etc. Mr. Edward Wilson's rendering of his translation of Cicero's First Oration against Catiline is deserving of special notice, though all the parts were given without a single break or failure of memory. We observe our students have great capacity for "rising to occasions."

In the midst of the programme we were most agreeably surprised by the appearance of Secretary Powell, who happily closed the entertainment by a brief but stirring address.

The anniversary exercises of Wednesday morning made a fitting climax for the series