A handsome gold medal, presented by Mr. W. J. Demorest, of New York City, was awarded to Harris Barrett, of the senior class, for excellence in the junior elementary studies, the three R's, geography, grammar and spelling, in which the whole class were examined for the prize without special review, only one falling below an average of 50 per cent. on all, and five averaging above 90--a better showing than some Northern college seniors could make, I fear.
As usual, some of the school's former graduates returned to tell the story of their labors, and nearly fifty were present on the invitation yearly renewed to all.
The valedictorian was the youngest of a family of one sister and four brothers, children of a minister, who have graduated at the school, the last two with the honor of the valedictory.
The Indian graduates were represented by two of their number, a young man of the Sac and Fox tribe, Indian Territory, who gave his own reasons for claiming and desiring citizenship for his people, which were: 1st, that the Indian also is a child of the Father; 2d, that he was once owner of the land; 3d, that without this protection and help he must perish; 4th, that with it he can become a useful member of the nation, a man among men. An Indian girl plead eloquently for the Indian woman, and protested against the use of "savage" as a synonym of Indian, since "there are also yellow savages, black savages and white savages." The representations of the past, present and future of Indian life will not soon be forgotten by those who saw them. The past's barbaric glories were typified by a tall young brave and Indian girl in the beautiful dress of the wilderness. They stood silent, like a vision of the ancient days, while their story was told. The present's pathos was represented by "_Lo_" the _very_ "poor Indian" and squaw in shabby blankets, bewailing--as their Indian interpreter explained--the loss of lands and buffalo, asking where to go next--"white man everywhere"; the future's hope by a promising pair of Hampton students, able to speak for themselves, work for themselves and teach their people, with their white brethren's help, in the Christian's road. As the three groups stood in striking tableau--a visible embodiment of truth which I wish every white citizen of the United States could have seen and taken to heart--their comrades of the Indian school rose behind them, and started a Dakota hymn, recognized by the melody as "From Greenland's Icy Mountains," or, as interpreted to Indian understanding, "From the very distant cold land--from the hot land far away." As the plaintive strain died away, it was taken up in English in the richer chorus of their colored schoolmates, and the whole audience, rising, joined in the grand third verse, "_Shall we whose souls are lighted_," with effect not to pass from their hearts.