It is most pleasant to see the evident affection shown by the young towards the teacher, and our theological student, Brother Scott, on whom a large share of the work has fallen, and who, if he can be assisted to an education, bids fair to be a power in the land. The children come early and stay late; they crowd around us, and do all they can to please us. They have the freedom of the house, but we never miss even a button. Such a school full of honest, truthful, obedient and affectionate children is rare anywhere. What shall be said of a set of very dark colored children, in a community where the ignorance is simply appalling, and many of them go hungry?
ALABAMA.
REV. W. H. ASH, FLORENCE.
The work in Florence for the last two years has been comparatively a new one. The exodus of the colony from here not only took from the town some of the best citizens, but it robbed our church of its strength, both in a temporal and spiritual sense, leaving behind the weakest spiritually and the poorest financially. My first endeavor was to impress upon the people in their discouraged condition, the necessity of having faith in God.
Since that time the church has grown in religious life and character; members have been added to it such, I hope, as shall be saved.
We have had a revival which served as a great quickening influence, though there were not the number of conversions we had hoped for. Within these two years, we have built a beautiful house of worship, which helps greatly as an attraction to our service; as also does our organ, sent by friends, being the only organ in the colored churches.
The Sunday-school has grown in interest and numbers, and has been able to pay for its lesson papers this year. The school has been built up almost entirely out of new material. My wife and self have taught a day-school in connection with the church-work, which has given strength to the church. Outside of the primary and intermediate classes, we have a class in United States history, one in English composition, and one in algebra. Up to this time forty-six scholars have been enrolled. Last year we began with three scholars, closing with thirty-five. We have had quite a number of applications for boarding scholars, but had no accommodation for such, with the exception of one girl whom we felt almost bound to take. Some of the others found places with difficulty, because they wanted to go to the Congregational school (so-called, while the public is called the Methodist school).
Strange to say, in this community the country people are more able to sustain a “pay-school” than are those in town. But there is a reason for it: wages are very low, and it really takes what is needed for their absolute wants to pay dollar a month, particularly if a family numbers six or seven, which is really the case in my parish. A woman’s wages average from four to five dollars a month. I sigh, and wonder how these poor people ever will rise.