The American Missionary — Volume 44, No. 05, May 1890 by Various
page 23 of 105 (21%)
page 23 of 105 (21%)
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Bible. This is systematic and comprehensive. It does not consist in
learning and repeating, in a parrot-like way, different dates and names. It is analytical, both in history and biography. It also includes careful study of Biblical geography. I am sure those in the North who visit this school will be especially gratified by the success in this department of the school work. While looking for a friend in Tallahassee, Fla., I visited his office two or three times. The office-boy finally informed me that he had "gone to Liberia." I asked him whether Liberia was a country or a town, and he replied: "Why, boss! it's de place dey reads books." He meant the library. I related this experience to the barber at the hotel, and he turned to the porter and said, "You make just such mistakes, porter." The porter replied, "Yes, I knows I makes _sentimental_ mistakes." He supposed a sentimental mistake was one that was made in a sentence. Big words never stumble them. And yet, little by little they are gaining in the use of language, and naturally they are orators. It gives a Protestant Christian a strange feeling when he observes the Christian bearing of the Roman Catholics toward the colored people in the South, and the unchristian bearing of many Protestant denominations toward them. Dropping into the Cathedral at St. Augustine, I saw graceful white ladies kneeling side by side with black women, and worshiping together. At Pensacola I went into a Catholic church, and there in a crowded audience were colored and white people sitting in adjoining pews with perfect freedom. I went from here into a Methodist church, and there was not a single colored person present. It would not be strange if the Roman church gathered into its fold a large part of the Negroes of the South. Whatever may be the superstition and errors of their church, they do recognize in every human being a child of God, and |
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