BALLARD NORMAL SCHOOL, MACON, GA.
PROF. F. T. WATERS.
The Ballard Normal School, located at Macon, Ga., has closed with flattering success in all departments. The work in all the grades reflects much credit on the teachers, but no work is more marked than that of the industrial department. The display was much more imposing than was thought possible, the work having been delayed until late in the year; it seemed at first unwise to try to make any display at all, but all felt paid for the attempt. In the girls' department we found work of all grades of sewing, dresses, waists, aprons and other articles of wearing apparel, also darning, matching, buttonholes, quilting, etc. Each article was marked with the name of the girl and grade, and many were the exclamations of commendation from those who visited the rooms where the display was made. Works deserving special mention are buttonholes made by Martha Howard of the seventh grade; patching by Lulu Gaston, and darning by Gertrude Williams. The cooking-school, for lack of money, was discontinued after three months, but during that time substantial progress was made, and there can be no question about the advisability of pushing the industrial work as far as possible the coming year. In the boys' department, too, all were surprised to see the articles in display. There were joints of every shape, all of them showing skill of high order; there were many useful articles displayed, such as pen-racks, pen-trays, towel-rolls, hat-racks, puzzles, etc. Many of the articles were given away by the boys to the friends, and some of the articles will be exhibited in the North to show the class of work done in our schools. As it seems to me, no branch of work is more important than the industrial, and great interest is taken in it by the boys. The lack of money has made it necessary to curtail this very important part of our educational work.
The work done in the last year leads me to believe that there should be no cutting down in any part of the work of Ballard school, which I regard as one of the most promising of the many American Missionary Association schools, and especially should there be no cutting in either of the industrial departments. More than any one thing, these people need to be taught the use of time and the saving of money; this, with the intellectual and moral training in our schools, will make full grown men and women. The work-begun is one that should be pursued with no let up.
BEACH INSTITUTE, SAVANNAH, GA.
MISS JULIA B. FORD.
The closing week began with the class reunion, Friday evening, May 18th, when, notwithstanding a wild wind and rain storm, a blithe company assembled in the cosy rooms at the Teachers' Home.
Sunday afternoon, May 20th, an able baccalaureate address was preached by the Rev. Alexander Ellis, of Savannah. The large audience, which filled our flower-decked chapel, were said, by a resident, to be "the best colored people of Savannah." Certainly the sight of this large company of refined and intelligent persons of the Negro race might have served as an inspiration to a worker for that race.