out. How we wished the politicians all might have been brought
under that magic spell of solos and choruses!"

O Music, with thy wand celestial, touch
The hearts of men, and by thy alchemy
Divine, resolve, remelt, aye, e'en recast
The thought and very being! Selfish man,
So filled with prejudice and hate hath need,
O heavenly messenger, of all thy aid.

And as thy votaries in anthems sing
With the immortal Haydn, and do praise
Creative Wisdom, Who, of one blood made
All Nations for to dwell on earth in love,
Then let celestial fires descend and burn
Complete, the offering of the lips, and purge
The dross of caste and hate from every soul!

This do, for Satan hath his spectrum set
Before the door of human hearts and cast
Upon the screen the separated lines
Of black and red and yellow--white forsooth,
While these should mingle in that glorious Sun
That shines alike on all, impartially.

Then come, O Music, re-resolve the lines,
These color-lines, and let the sun's pure ray
Beam forth in unobstructed light and love,
Transmuting, by his touch, these human hearts,
Till they shall mirror forth the Golden Rule.

* * * * *

ITEMS.

Everywhere the colored contestants in Civil Service examinations
succeed admirably in their work. In March just past, there was a
competitive examination held in the Custom House at Newark, N.J., for
clerkships. Out of forty-three contestants, Mr. J.N. Vandewall, a well
known young colored man, stood No. 1, 96 per cent. There was only one
other colored contestant, Mr. G.W. Harris. He stood fifth, with an
average of 86 per cent.

Mr. A.C. Garner, our colored representative in the Chicago Theological
Seminary, passed an excellent examination last week, and received
praise not only from his Professors but from his student friends as
well. Out of a class of forty, he was one of seven chosen by the
Professor of Elocution to represent the class in oratory at the closing
exercises held last week.

During the recent illness of one of our teachers in the South, the
pastor of the Church called every Sunday for volunteers as watchers
during the week. There was always a ready response from the church
members. The te