a Congregational church in the city—­the school-church being too far away to reach the mass of the people.  Said an educated colored man to me:  “Our most intelligent people cannot endure the ignorant worship of these old churches much longer.  We want Congregationalism, but if we can’t have that, we must look elsewhere.  We must have something to hold our educated young people from falling into infidelity.”  And so they must, for that is a coming danger.

At Helena, I found a most interesting state of things.  Our church is in a country place called “The Colony.”  The church and the colony began their existence together, and a more prosperous community of colored people it would be hard to find.  They own several thousand acres of land, and are in every way ahead of their white neighbors.  The school house of the latter was a poor tumble-down affair and the children were untidy, while the school house of the former was a neat, painted and well-kept building, crowded in school hours with bright, enthusiastic children—­clean and polite.  The teacher was from Talladega College and has taught here for five years.  His school is pronounced the best in the region for white or colored.  The pastor of this church has charge also of the Congregational Church at Goliad.

Corpus Christi is a curious town on the Gulf of Mexico.  It has about 6,000 people—­Americans, Mexicans, Negroes, Italians, Greeks and Chinese.  The Negroes here hold an unusual position, being regarded as in every way superior to the Mexicans and Italians.  Our pastor here is popular with all classes and has been chosen an alderman of the city, and is treated with as much consideration as any other of the City Council.

Our church is one of the oldest Congregational churches in the South, and has had a very interesting history.  With the exception of the Roman Catholic church it has the best house of worship in the city.  On Sunday afternoon, Rev. Mr. Strong, the Congregational pastor, and myself attended service at the Roman Catholic church.  We went into the body of the church and took a first class seat, and the fact that one was colored did not even draw attention to us.  It was taken as a matter of course.  The colored people of Texas are taxed for $20,000,000 of property.  In the cities they make up about one-third of the population.  An enlargement of our church work in this State is greatly needed.

Straight University in New Orleans, La., is an inspiring place.  I found the buildings packed full—­seats full, chairs in the aisles, in the corners and on the teachers’ platforms—­all full.  About one hundred and fifty applicants had already been sent away for want of room, and they were still coming, as many as ten often being refused in a single day.  They were here not only from the States, but also from Mexico, the West Indies and Central America.  I saw here some remarkable work in moulding done by a student in the fifth grade, who had never been trained, but who seems to be impelled by real genius.  Straight University has a unique position and opportunity.  Its influence is now great; it is destined to be boundless.