THE FREEDMEN.
ATLANTA, GA.
Students’ Reports of Summer Work.
MRS. T. N. CHASE.
School has opened with larger numbers than for several years. Our graduates seem to be doing much toward recommending the school. The first Sabbath afternoon of each new school-year is given up to reports from our students, who have been teaching through our summer vacation of three months. Nothing in all our school work interests me so much as these reports. The only alloy in my enjoyment is that thousands of Northern friends, whose hearts would be equally cheered by them, cannot enjoy them too.
Those who attend meetings of the A. B. C. F. M., and are thrilled with the reports of returned missionaries, know something of our pleasure. Yet, I suspect ours is greater, for these missionaries are of our own training, many of them led to Jesus in our own school, and the fields reported are the benighted spots of our native land.
I will copy a few jottings, hastily taken at the time. The first one says: “I have the same old story to report, except a few new things. Have taught in Monroe Co. for four summers. The first year no white people visited the school; the second two came; the third year four; this year thirty or forty. All think highly of Atlanta University, and the Commissioner begged me to supply the county with teachers from this school. People are not willing to sell land. Colored people doing well as they can; anxious to get up higher and want teachers to help them up.”
Another says: “I had a half hour of Bible study each morning. Devoted part of Friday afternoons to talks against tobacco and whiskey. All the Sunday-school material the people had was a catechism and some papers left locked up by the last Atlanta teacher and not used since. Only four colored people own land. Landowners seem to ask such a price as they know never can be paid. Some bargain for land, and then pay enormous interest. One man pays one hundred and fifty dollars a year interest—all he can save. I advised them to save their money till they got enough to pay cash for their land. Met several white young men, professing Christians, and had pleasant talks with them. Closed school a little before it was time to return, and picked cotton in the meantime.”