.
Unhappily this test is seldom applied to the work of teaching. We judge
the teacher by the process rather than by the product, and we introduce
a number of extraneous criteria to hide the absence of a real criterion.
We watch the way in which he conducts a recitation, how many slips he
makes in his diction and syntax, inspect his personal appearance, ask of
what school he is a graduate and how many degrees he possesses, inquire
into his moral character, determine his church membership, and judge him
to be a good or a poor teacher according to our findings. All of these
queries may have their place in the estimation of any teacher's worth,
but they do not strike the most salient, the most vital, point at issue.
That point is simply this: Does he 'make good' in results? Does he do
the thing that he sets out to do, and does he do it well?"

I agree wholly with Prof. Bagley in this particular and on these grounds
we are willing to stand or fall by the results of our graduates.

Speaking of our graduates and ex-students, I wish to point to the life
and work of a few written by their own hands because in these particular
cases I can testify to the truth of every word they say, having known
them from early childhood. Their record follows and they speak for
themselves:

"I was born in Snow Hill, Wilcox County, Alabama, about 30 years ago. I
was the 14th child of a family of 17. My father was a very prosperous
farmer and believed in educating his children. Each year he would send
them by twos off to schools, such as Talladega, Tuskegee and Normal,
Alabama. Some of the older children, however, did not take advantage of
the great opportunity they had. He spent his money lavishly on them and
about the time I was large enough to go off to school, he was not as
prosperous. As soon as I was old enough he kept me in the public and
sometimes private schools, both summer and winter. Yet, he had promised
to send the remainder of us off to school. Fortunately for us, however,
Snow Hill Institute had been established by Mr. W. J. Edwards, and my
father being very much impressed with Mr. Edwards and his teachers,
consulted him about entering three children, I being the youngest. Mr.
Edwards kindly consented and we were at once put in school there. I was
also fond of music and after learning that Snow Hill Institute had such
an efficient music teacher, I was very much pleased to attend school
there. So in the year of 1900 I entered. I was