We do not propose a treatment of this topic in the abstract, to tell of the internal pressure for retrenchment from the collapsed condition of our treasury, or of the outcries which accompany the red line made by the surgical knife. We simply lay before our readers the facts in regard to our latest efforts in this direction.
We have had a school for fourteen years at Athens, Alabama. Miss M. F. Wells has been the principal from its beginning, and has been one of our most faithful and most successful teachers and missionaries. Miss Underwood has been her assistant for two years, and Rev. Horace Taylor has been pastor of the vigorous and enterprising church which has grown up by the side of, and indeed out of, the school. Some 150 scholars have been in attendance at the school, and its work has been more and more satisfactory year by year.
We had a building there which was, however, in bad repair: its walls had been propped up these last months, and it was becoming really unsafe, so that it must be abandoned or replaced. But to erect a suitable and permanent building would cost $5,000, and we had no such sum to expend; and the question came to be, Shall we build, or close the school and transfer the teachers to some other field? Reluctantly this latter decision was made:—indeed, we did not make it; it was made for us. We could not build, and the decision was sent on to Athens.
On the first of July, Miss Wells wrote from a sick bed, of the shock which this decision gave to her, though it had been intimated beforehand. She said:
We thank you cordially for the delay in the announcement of your decision, for had it come in the midst of our closing exercises, students and teachers would have been unfitted for the work upon them.
Our examinations continuing through four days were largely attended throughout, a crowded house greeting us every day.
The general voice of the people was: “Examinations grow better all the time;” “This is the best we have ever had;” “I will send all my children the first day next year, and not keep them out for anything;” “Bless the Lord for this school;” “It makes me cry for joy when I see what it has done for our people;” “We are all going to help build a new house;” “Will start a brick-yard next week, if you say so, right in these grounds;” “All will help;” “Even the idle boys on the street will gladly lend a hand;” etc., etc.
On the whole, our examinations and closing exercises were more satisfactory to us this year than ever before. There has been a deeper earnestness in study, and a higher grade of scholarship has been reached.
On the day following, Miss Underwood wrote: