Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-15
sned with tears who depends on his vita and
children for his support.
A Walk Through the Primary Department
Enjoying tho Nom Recess-"Faith-
full, but not Punctual"-Teach-
ing the Young Indians.


Hampton Cor Inter Ocean.l
Thou art grsat and thou art good;
Lord, We thank Thee for this food.
By Thy hand must all be fed;
Give US, Lord, our daily bread. Amen.
This was the sweet chant that saluted my
ears when was ushersd into the dining hall
of Hampton institute for the first time thu
other day. It was N equally pleasant sight
that greeted my eysA Six hundred students,
four-ffths negroes and one-ffth Indians
were standing around the tables with bowe.
heads, rendering the hymn as only dusky
wards at the south know how to render
hymn music.
"What happy substitute for the usual
form Of grace" remarked involuntarily.
"Yes," said Gen Armstrong, the principal,
"a single voice could not be well heard
throughout the hall We have several other
formule which are equally pretty, think.
On Sundays it is the do1ology usually"
In company with Miss Hyde walked over
the long. low, wooden building the other
day. The $50 pickaniniss who are taught
the rudiments here by graduates Of the in
stitute arc not included in the Hampton cat
alogue. They are children from the country
for miles around. Who come trudging along
on foot all tho way each morning, and then
trudge back to their miserable homes every
afternoon at 1:30, when school lets out
"Dont they bring their dinners with
themr inquired.
~Oh, no indeed, answered Miss hyde. 1T
Is as much as most OF them can hope for II
they bring their breakfasts along in their lit
tie stomachs One girl tainted dead away
from sheer hunger the other day. 1t was
after noon. and she hadn't had any break
last at all As rule the children are SO
hardy, however, that they are not much In
convenienced by such state OF things We
try to arrange it SO that the tasks requiring
the most application come first in the day.
But the children are always smiling as much
as though they had just got up from turkey.
dinner. See them now"
Hooked, and was greatly amused at the
antics OF the multitude OF black youngsters
that were tumbling out OF the various doo,
In order to enjoy the noon recess.
There was every African type In minia-
ture that you ever saw or dreamed OF There
was young girl with big poke sun. bonnet
sof straw on, although it was q crisp January
morning. Here were two boys, evidently
brothers, with but single hat between
them. One wore the brim and the other
wore the crown
Are they faithful In attendance!"
Faithful, but not punctuaL But how
could they be punctual without watches o.
clocks at homef They come In squads Ihs
one who lives In the most remote part OF
Shutdown starts first, the next one waits Tor
him, the third Tor the trst two and SO on
Thus II one Is late AL are late from thai
town, and great responsibility attaches &c
that 'hrst boy or glrL otnsrs go by tne
railway train. A little girl was late tie
other day, and when asked the reason Tor
this she made reply: reely dunno;
come when De steamboat whistle done
blow Then discovered that she mad been
timing herself by q certain steamboat, the
time table OF which mad been changed that
morning The homes from which many OF
these children come are appallingly squalid."
We entered the main room. Presently the
time allotted for recess was over, and the
S6O Jolly pickaninies came marching In to
the music OF an organ They performed .
series OF evolutaons nrst that are characteris-
tic Of Hampton Even the 4OO boys march
to dinner In Virginia ball from the various
dormitories to the strains OF small orches-
ira When these evolutions were over the
pickaninies were found drawn up in solid
phalanxes, quite filling the room
In the mean time, superb bass singer had
taken his position ON the platform beside us.
and now he started series Of familiar
plantation melodiea The $50 irrepressible
pickaninies caught up each piece with
zest, and the stories OF Daniel in lions den.
Jonah in the whales belly, and all the other
biblical incidents were given with whole-
some abandon that did me good
After half an hour Of singing the classes
went to their rooms, and strayed into ths
@Kitchen Garden" The children had fin
ished all their tasks, such as setting minia-
ture tables, making beds, washing clothes
and hanging them out on q line. sweeping
their apartment; and the teacher was de-
veloping their originality by having them
tell stories to each other.
Music is too ornamental q branch for
Hampton as yet, although the music which
characterizss the exercises Is always first
class and thoroughly stirring Mr. Hamil-