McINTOSH, GA.
PROF. FRED. W. FOSTER.
Wednesday morning, May 16th, marked the beginning of the end of our year's work. After our usual devotional exercises we commenced the public examination of our school in all the various classes. It was an exhaustive review of as much of the work of the year as could be covered in the given time. All passed off to the satisfaction of the teachers and the great delight of a good number of visiting patrons and friends. It was a thorough test, and was well met by the various classes from primary to normal, and gave evidence of earnest work and real advancement.
Although Wednesday's examination was the test of actual work, Thursday was the day which marked the high-water point in the matter of general interest, being the occasion of our regular anniversary. The exercises consisted of declamations by a number of young men, and recitations by young women, interspersed with music by a choir selected from the school. Although my boys and girls wear dark skins and come from the rice field and turpentine swamp, and their native speech is sometimes little better than a jargon, still I would not have hesitated to put them beside boys and girls coming from much more favorable surroundings. Our music, too, rendered by young people whose previous practice, for the most part, extended no farther than Gospel hymns or plantation melodies, could not have failed to convince one of careful drill and earnest effort, and was a very pleasurable part of the day's programme.
The County Superintendent of schools was with us through the whole of Thursday, and expressed his keen appreciation of the work done. While these two days gave evidence of solid work accomplished, it is only by daily contact during the entire year that one can realize the gain in scholarship, methods of work, ability to think and express thought, and the growth in morals and Christian character that has been made.