Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-19
Passed Through Glass Rooms.

We passed through various class TOOIlS
without interrupting the work, except by
a brief Introduction to the professors.
In so far as l met them the personnel of
the instructors was female, all with more
or less of African blood The same is true
of the pupils as to color. They were of every
shade, from olive to ebony These youths
seemed to be attentive, wide-awake and in
telligent. The impression they made upon
me was far from being otherwise than
agreeable. -.
4 only passed through the rooms de-
voted to the natural sciences, merely paus-
ing to notice the excellent equipment of
the laboratories; but l stopped a while in
the English class room, where one of the
novels of George Eliot was under discus
sion, and where 1 heard very satisfactory
answers.
Following this, asked if I might wit
ness recitation in Latin. The principal
answered that within a few moments she
herself would be due to conduct regular
reason said /, why | should wish to be
present. If there is no objection
THE class numbered sixteen, of which
three were young girls AS soon as l had
been presented they were asked to explain
the beginning of the Aeneid. Those who
were Intercepted answered SO well that 1
inferred that the passage had been their
lesson not very long before, but in that
attentively listened to and well retained
But what was most clearly demonstrated
was the excellent character of the COM
mentary, given in my presence, by the pro-
lessor herself upon the poem in general-of
Virgils design in the writing of it, upon the
history and mythology of it, the meter, the
grammatical rules and textual peculiarities
myself should have been wholly incapable
for my part, of such precision of knowledge
and understanding of the subject or of such
lecture before class of students. We
spent the whole of the hour upon the first
eleven lines of the poem without my noting
the passing of the time.
Interested to the End.
II remained very much interested to the
end. One does not every day meet with the
opportunity of joining in the praises Of the
hero of Troy (she very properly recon-
mended the translation of Virgils virum'
by heroD or listening to the tale Of the
origin of Rome in the company of Ameri-
can negroes, under the direction of lady
of color At the expiration of this hour in
Latin l had the pleasure of witnessing the
whole school in the act of passing out from
the different departments to short physi-
cal exercise which takes the place of rec
reation. AS they came out they passed us
in line, two by two in perfect silence. And
must have looked the surprise 1 felt at
this quite military marching forth The
principal said to me: This is necessary
where the pupils are numerous, both for
the preservation of good order and for the
saving of time
MY very agreeable guide took pleasure
in informing me that the year before this
she had been able to obtain a scholarship
for one of her students at Harvard Uni
versity, fact which she reasonably enough
believed would prove a salutary inducement
to other students to do their best and might
increase the number of those willing to
devote themselves to the elevation of their
race.
''At the moment of taking my leave. after
expressing my thanks to this interesting
directress, / expressed the wish that l
might some day see her in France. L have
for long time desired, she said, to pass
one of my vacations there, but have not
ventured upon such an undertaking. l know
no one there, and your people are not much
accustomed to see those of the colored race
Il assured her that there exist summer
courses of study and associations of foreign
students and that apprehended no trouble
in being able to find in or near Paris, some
family who would receive her as a boarder
in case she would come. And SO we parted
as very good friends