The school year at Tillotson Institute is ended. Teachers and students have left for the long vacation ; the halls are lonely and quiet ; no longer at night do the upper story windows send out their cheerful gleam, responsive to the twinkling lights of St. Edwards, four miles away across the Colorado. We feel that the resting time, which, in the case of nearly all the students, will be but a change of occupation, has been well and faithfully earned.

There are reasons enough to be thought of that would be quite sufficient to prevent progress at this or any other similar institution. It is pleasing to record that the past year at Tillotson Institute has been subject to none of them. Progress has been made. The verdict of those who have the opportunity of judging, is that more solid, substantial results have been derived during the year just closed than ever before. For one thing there have been fewer transient pupils. The school did not open full ; it never does. The cotton fields are responsible for that. There has been comparatively little sickness, and no deaths have occurred among those connected with the school.

The school is greatly indebted to the city pastors for preaching services during the first two months of the year. This extra work they did with a cheerfulness and courtesy, which we may certainly attribute to the interest they have felt in our work. The voluntary prayer meetings have been attended very regularly and fully by the students. An earnestness in religious matters, quite apart from the emotional enthusiasm, which, with the Negro, too often stands for Christianity, has been noticeable all through the year. At our May communion, eight united with the .church on confession of their faith in Christ. Several others whom we considered hopeful converts have preferred to unite with the churches to which their parents or friends belong.

The usual order of exercises was pursued at commencement. The written examinations for promotion took place on Thursday and Friday, May 29th and 3oth. Saturday was "Tillotson Day." To celebrate this there were literary exercises in the chapel and a picnic in the grounds. The speaker of the day was Prof. H. T. Kealing, Superintendent of the colored schools of the city. Prof. Kealing studied at Straight University and is a graduate of Tabor College. Few brighter or more capable young men are sent out from any college. His address was excellent and in every way fitting. With an enviable command of pure, expressive English, a thorough knowledge of the weaknesses, vices and capabilities of his own race, a fund of humor and anecdote, and a peculiar aptness of illustration, he held the closest attention of his audience from beginning to end. His distinct recollection of trying to impress Mr. Tillotson with his knowledge of Latin, and his utter discomfiture when the person, who, at the time, seemed to him "an Irishman in his Sunday suit," began to ask questions, gave a very realistic touch to his talk. The later afternoon hours were devoted to the picnic.

Sunday morning the baccalaureate sermon was preached by the President. Monday and Tuesday, June2d and 3d, the public oral examinations were held. The weather was extremely warm, and few visitors had the energy to climb the hill to be present at these, though they were by no means lacking in interest, and were conducted with spirit and animation quite at variance with the wilting atmosphere.

Instead of a varied programme for the regular Tuesday evening entertainment, it had been decided to repeat the cantata of " Esther," so successfully rendered earlier in the term. Remembering the crowd that thronged the whole building last year, some slight defense was made by charging a small admittance fee to all not connected with the school. Even with this precaution the school-room was a solid mass of humanity, but a patient, good-natured mass, evidently interested in, and entertained by, the musical efforts of the pupils. With no attempts at scenery, and little pretension at costuming, the cantata was well sung, especially in those parts where the Jews appear to be so far down in the depths of despair. Its soothing effects were quite equal to the literary entertainment given last year. Only this time the sleepy small boy instead of getting under the stone steps, chose the wooden steps at the east entrance as a more restful place for his slumbers.

Wednesday morning, June 4th, the fifth class graduated from Tillotson Institute. It had four members, equally divided as to sex. Other members of the school besides the graduating class took part in the exercises, and a not too long programme was on the whole, very.creditably presented. After the conferring of the diplomas and certificates, encouraging, hopeful and helpful remarks were made by such good friends of the Institute as Dr. E. B. Wright, Major I. H. Evans, Prof. E. L. Blackshear and Rev. Mr. Giffin.

Two of the graduates have already secured situations to teach. One, who is inspired with the hope of continuing his studies either at Yale or Harvard, has been appointed principal of a graded school at Navasota, Texas.

The American Missionary Association has this year lost a most devoted worker in the person of Miss R. M. Kinney who, before these lines are in the printer's hands, will be far on her way to the Caroline Islands. Tillotson has already missed her and the old pupils who may return next year will certainly find something wrong in not being greeted by the earnest, warm hearted, always cheerful preceptress.

 

From Little Rock I went to Paris, Texas. This growing city has a population of about twelve thousand, five thousand of whom are colored. Our pastor here is a graduate of Fisk University, as also is his wife. The need of our church work in this city and in the State is two-fold, direct and indirect. Our Congregational churches are quite as useful for toning up other churches and their ministry as in the direct work done by them.

Dodds, Roxton and Dallas in Northern Texas were next visited, and in each a small church is established and doing a good work.

At Austin, I found our Tillotson Institute rapidly filling with students— bright and earnest. A girls' hall is greatly needed here at once. This institution with its unlimited opportunities in the great State of Texas ought not to be cramped in any way, but to be given every facility. Who will give it at once what it so urgently needs ? I found several intelligent people here greatly desiring a Congregational church in the city—the schoolchurch being too far away to reach the mass of the people. Said an educated colored man to me: "Our most intelligent people cannot endure the ignorant worship of these old churches much longer. We want Congregationalism, but if we can't have that, we must look elsewhere. We must have something to hold our educated young people from falling into infidelity." And so they must, for that is a coming danger.

At Helena, I found a most interesting state of things. Our church is in a country place called " The Colony." The church and the colony began their existence together, and a more prosperous community of colored people it would be hard to find. They own several thousand acres of land, and are in every way ahead of their white neighbors. The school house of the latter was a poor tumble-down affair and the children were untidy, while the school house of the former was a neat, painted and well-kept building, crowded in school hours with bright, enthusiastic children—clean and polite. The teacher was from Talladega College and has taught here for five years. His school is pronounced the best in the region for white or colored. The pastor of this church has charge also of the Congregational Church at Goliad.

Corpus Christi is a curious town on the Gulf of Mexico. It has about 6,000 people—Americans, Mexicans, Negroes, Italians, Greeks and Chinese. The Negroes here hold an unusual position, being regarded as in every way superior to the Mexicans and Italians. Our pastor here is popular with all classes and has been chosen an alderman of the city, and is treated with as much consideration as any other of the City Council.

Our church is one of the oldest Congregational churches in the South, and has had a very interesting history. With the exception of the Roman Catholic church it has the best house of worship in the city. On Sunday afternoon, Rev. Mr. Strong, the Congregational pastor, and myself attended service at the Roman Catholic church. We went into the body of the church and took a. first class seat, and the fact that one was colored did not even draw attention to us. It was taken as a matter of course. The colored people of Texas are taxed for $20,000,000 of property. In the cities they make up about one-third of the population. An enlargement of our church work in this State is greatly needed.