noons and Friday evenings, not only the
most instructive and profitable of all the week to the students, in the
matter of their character building, but also the most joyous and happy
to all of them. All cares and troubles were forgotten, while repeating
responsively and cheerily together many of the most thrilling and
comforting passages of the Bible, or singing merrily the beautiful
hymns, plantation melodies, sacred anthems and patriotic glees, that
enlisted mutual attention and interest. The joyous blending of their
many happy, youthful voices, sometimes soft and low, then rising and
swelling with all possible animation into full chorus, while singing
together the "Beautiful Story" that "Never Grows Old" and "Must be
Told," "Break Forth into Joy," "Before Jehovah's Throne," "Hail to the
Flag," "Freedom's Banner" and similar familiar selections, are sweet and
blessed treasures of the memory, that are invariably recalled with
pleasure and delight.

NEW FEATURES

In addition to the branches that had been previously taught,
arrangements were now made for special instruction in voice culture and
vocal music, one hour a week for all the pupils; and the young men in
agriculture, horticulture, house-painting, carpentry and masonry.

The aim of these new departments was to awaken an intelligent interest
and make every one familiar with the principles that would enable them
to make

The Farm,
The Garden,
The Orchard,
The Dairy,
The Cattle,
The pigs and Poultry,

all a source of greatest profit to them as owners.

An earnest effort was also made to check the stream of migration to
distant schools, by bringing the work at Oak Hill to such a degree of
efficiency as to meet the real needs of every young person in its
vicinity.

This was successfully accomplished by a voluntary and gratuitous
establishment, on the part of the superintendent and principal, of
Normal and Theological departments, that were maintained as long as
there was any real need for them; the former until the fall of 1907, the
last year under territorial rule preceding the establishment of county
normal institutes; and the latter in 1910, when the last licentiate was
ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry.

VISIT OF MRS. V. P. BOGGS, SECRETARY

The late Mrs. V. P. Boggs, secretary of the Women's Department of the
Freedmen's Board was a welcome visitor in the fall of 1907. Her
observations we