St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-15
Emancipation Day in Atlanta Uni
versity.

to mark their birthday. so far us | can
discover.
Before we start let me do the hOnors
of our establishment here, the ..Storrs
school and its Home" 1t was chris
tened after DR.. II. NJ. StorrS, now of
New York. whose church in Cincinnati
gave the funds for the chapel room
when the house WAS built in lSt7. In
1865 the American Missionary Associa-
ti"n began its work here. and still APP
points the teachers in this building,
though the city has adopted the school
is one in its public system and pays the
the teachers. 1t has six grades, carry
ing its three hundred and fifty pupils
from the primer up To IL rank that
would qualify them to enter Il High
school. were one open to them. Adj
joining the school grounds is the lot on
which stands the "IIome." where the six
Young ladies keep house together and
shelter our little family. Its pleasant
li'il' ' anu l'i'i~. III W ill' II
green spires show among the brown
even now some China" trees. about
the size of ii maple though less Shapely
beautifully feStooncd with English ivy.
and hearing clumps of yellow berries us
large a> cherries: with il croquet ground
for which the clay makes Il hard sur
face. The house is Il pretty story -and-a-
half cottLge. raised up on Il basement
containing dining room and Kitchen.
Oar room looks out South and East
upon the struggling hur,ler> of the city.
taperimg off in little. white washed ne
gro >hanticS.
We step into the University carriage
and old Bill. an army veteran. tugs up
the hill through the deep mud. red.
sticky, greasy rs only sacred southern
clay can make. The air is filled with il
chilly mist which divides the winter
weather with IL pcntlating drizzle on :,
smart rain. Once il week. perhaps. we
see the sun. bright and warm as in uuI
June. hut he gets sick of thu, persistent
moisture and soon rctirc> For il dav
OF tw" the rain will stop and the side
walks quickly settle into their natural
iirmmr>>. 81 that really we have not
much fault Ia find. though |. who love
Il sturdy Vermont winter. am banker
iug aftcl Il jolly sleigh ride in the crisp.
frosty air. Next month will bring H.
the h;;lmN days "t spring. just ~ y"Il
are gcttin" tougher >tolmS and deeper
drifts.
We cannot stop t" quiz the quaint
costumes of darkcy and iitc trash. on
their rude. ridiculous wagons with de
,icctcd horses. imVulneIable mules. OF
trnwSN steers. all well >limed with the
brick red mud through which they have
wadrd. We rattle along the macad-
amizcd streets of the city. passing from
the eastern slope across to the west. for
the city stands upon Il high swell of land
which grades off easily on every side. Il
circle "t similar Swcll> girdiug it ronnd
with Il diameter of about three miles
Crossing the valley we Use to the clear.
breezy site of the Atlanta University.
which looks Oft in its digmificd way upon
the city to the east and IL fine. rolling
country on the other sides: to the
northwest lie the Kcnnr>aw Mt>.. two
IL IL
shank back before the masses of SlIcl-
mans army. Close around are the ticl Is
of those bloody battles in which Hood.
>uprrScdimg Johnston. endcavorcd to
dash back the fatrd catastrophe of the
loss of Atlanta. between the two state
" halls of the University there are the
remains of the inner line of earth works
which hclted the city: the second and
third lines are concealed in the woods
which cover the ridges beyond.
But let us get inside. We enter the
girls hall. and pass 1T once to the great
dining room in the basement. where we
find hundred and fifty Young men and
women busy with their srIpper>. Quiet.
wcll-hrhaNcd people they are. with
manners that would not shame Il Yam
kcc, fol ''Gcod Morals and Gentle Man
ucr> are taught not only from the text
book. but by the watrhtul teachers who
sit at each of the ten long tables. This
eating with the negroes is the great of
frn>e in southern eyes: we may teach
them. preach To them. nurse them but
to sit at their table is high treason to
the tyranny of caste. Very few of the
scholars are the simon-purr black. but
every shade between the extremes j.
visible. the two coming strangely to-
gctheI in one albino boy of pure negro
blood. features and wool. but of the
and hair. supper is finished, and they
have prayers without leaving their
seats: all upon one side of the room re,
peat verse of Scripture in turn. a
hymn is sung with such spirit. under
standing and power that the very air
tremblcS. then Il Professor offers a short
PRAYER full of the deep religious energy
which pervadcs the institution. The
night is too torbidding for the girls to go
across to the chapel which is in the main
building several hundred yards away.
So those who sit with their backs
to the head of the room fIcp Dhout and
We proceed to the exercises of the oc-
ca>ion. After IL brief introduction of
do IL .i....i L. IL. D,..--;.l.-... Il ID