Members of the Trustee Board and others who have heard these exercises for many years, without hesitation pronounce them as a whole far better than those of any previous year.  It is certain that each year there is shown a marked advancement in general intelligence and culture, and in the depth and arrangement of thought.  The venerable Judge Whittaker, who seldom leaves his home at night, was on the platform, and at the close of the valedictory, which was given by Leonidas Burbridge, of Greenville, Miss., he jumped from his chair, seized the young man by the hand and expressed his wonder and gratification at all he had heard and seen, saying that in all his fifty years of life in New Orleans he had seen nothing that so filled his heart with emotions of astonishment and joy.

I neglected to speak of the meeting on Sunday morning, May 26th, of the College Y.M.C.A., which has had a very prosperous year.  The Association was addressed by Mr. Fred S. Hitchcock on Y.M.C.A. work in the great cities, and by Mr. Perry on College Y.M.C.A. work.  The year has been a good one, notwithstanding many adverse circumstances.  The establishment of a regular graded course of study, from the lowest primary grades to the college, and close adherence to such course are being felt more and more each year.  More than half the graduates of this year began their education in the school, and all interested are proud of them.  There is all along a marked difference between those who have come through our own primary schools and others equally capable who have had no systematic early training.  For the first time since the course of study was adopted, every class this year has thoroughly completed the work assigned, and in most cases reviewed it.

The State has been in a condition of great excitement during most of the year, nearly one-half the parishes being under a complete reign of terror, and it has been a frequent thing to see one of our students from the country, especially from the southern parishes, in tears in consequence of the intelligence of some friend, father or brother perhaps, having been the victim of some dastardly outrage from the “regulators.”  Tales of sorrow and suffering could easily be gathered to fill volumes.  Iberia, Terrebonne and Lafayette parishes have been especially noted as under this reign of terror, and from these we have many pupils.  Three sisters of Sammy Wakefield, who was shot at New Iberia, are in our school, and many others closely connected with suffering families.  It has been very difficult for the colored people to get a living, and the sacrifices they make to keep the children in school are wonderful.

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LE MOYNE NORMAL INSTITUTE, MEMPHIS, TENN.

BY PROF.  A.J.  STEELE.

Another year has passed in the history of our work at Le Moyne Institute, and its eighteenth anniversary has been celebrated with the graduation of a class of eleven, and the tenth reunion of an alumni association numbering some seventy five members.  Recalling sixteen years of experience in connection with this work, I can fix upon scarcely a single event or circumstance that has not been made to conduce to the advancement of our work and influence in the community, and looking over results in all directions, they have surpassed the dreams and expectations of the most hopeful.