The country around Deer Lodge is sparsely settled. One can travel miles without meeting any one. The people are somewhere—where, we are unable to tell; yet when they have an opportunity to hear preaching you will always find many people gathered in the schoolhouse where the "meeting" is to be held. In traveling through the surrounding country you will see many rough log houses, with only one room and often without windows, two doors opposite each other, one door always kept open winter and summer. A huge fire-place is in one end of the room. If you would have a view of humanity in its simplicity, visit one of these mountain homes. You will find everything of the most primitive kind. The hum of the spinning-wheel and the heavy thud of the loom will greet your ears. In one room you will very often see several beds, while the rest of the furniture will consist of a few wooden chairs, a table and perhaps a cupboard, and into this one room will be gathered the whole family, the women with old shawls over their heads, sitting by the fire chewing tobacco, or with the invariable snuff-stick in their mouth. But everywhere you will be treated with kindness and invariable civility. "Come and see us," they say; "we are mighty poor folks, but we will do the best we can." These mountaineers take life in a slow and easy way; you cannot make them "step to Yankee time."
Last Sabbath we attended one of the afternoon services. Our road passed for several miles through a lovely forest, with its soft shadows and calm repose. The only sound to break the stillness was the song of the birds. After a while we heard ringing out through the pine woods the echo of gospel hymns. Following the sound, and wending our way a little farther through the woods, in a quiet glen we came to the school house where the services were to be held. Here we found an earnest, attentive audience. In one place an outdoor meeting was held. It was a rare, perfect day. The people came in twos and threes, finding places wherever they could. One could almost fancy that other scene of centuries ago, beneath the blue skies of Palestine, where, when the multitude were gathered upon the mountain, the Master "opened His mouth and taught them."
Among these mountaineers are young men and women eager in their desire for knowledge, and anxious for an opportunity to learn of a better way of life. We believe that to the question, "What of the night?" the answer can be given, "The morning cometh."
COMMENCEMENT AT FISK UNIVERSITY.
By Miss Alice M. Garsden.
I cannot promise you a sketch of our commencement abounding in local color, for, if one were afflicted with color-blindness, he would probably be unable to discover many points of difference between commencement at Fisk and the same exercises at an Eastern college of about the same size.
As a mere reprint of the programs of the various anniversary exercises, which continued for three or four days, would occupy more space than is allowed for this article, it is evident that many things of interest must be crowded out.
The Department of Music gave a characteristic performance. Every selection on the program was well rendered. No music but the best is ever studied at Fisk, and the productions of the great composers are not only well played, but also well appreciated by our students.