Rev. A. J. Baird, D. D., of Nashville, then delivered the Commencement Address, which was full of wholesome, practical advice, interspersed with happy illustration. He dwelt largely upon the great tendency of young men to rest upon their laurels won in college, and to expect afterward to float with folded arms into a haven of prosperity and success. He maintained that substantial success is achieved only by unmitigated toil. After the address, the degree of A. B. was conferred upon Messrs. H. S. Merry and A. P. Miller, and the degree of M. A. upon Mr. Jno. H. Burrus and Mrs. Virginia Walker Broughton. After a few pertinent remarks by Prof. A. K. Spence, Dean of the Faculty, a shield, bearing in golden letters upon a blue field the parting words of one of our missionaries, which have been unanimously adopted as the motto of our institution—“Her sons and her daughters are ever on the altar”—was suspended upon the wall of the chapel amid sounds of hearty applause. The benediction was then pronounced by Rev. L. N. Merry. In one hour, professors, students of boarding department and invited guests assembled in the dining hall to partake of a carefully prepared collation. After all had partaken heartily, remarks were interchanged by invited guests, professors and students. Among the many pleasant features of the occasion was the presence of two old friends of the Institution from Great Britain—Rev. George Crow, of Belfast, Ireland, and Rev. William Bathgate, of Kilmarnock, Scotland, who gave many words of cheer and congratulation. Thus pleasantly closed the most prosperous and eventful year in the history of the institution, with a clear gain of thirty-five per cent. in attendance over last year. On the day after commencement, the 24th, the Union Jack floated from the tower of Jubilee Hall, in honor of the birthday of Queen Victoria, and significant of the close relation the institution sustains to its friends in Great Britain. * * * * * KENTUCKY. Then and Now. _Berea College._ The builder working day after day placing stone upon stone, polishing here and there, might well get discouraged if he stopped to look at each day’s work. Progress in all great things is slow, and nowhere slower than in building character. Twelve years ago, two little black children made their first appearance in our Berea School. The scholars, all of whom at that time were white, scattered before those two little bits of color, as if scared by the plague. The school that in the morning numbered fifty, by noon scarcely counted a dozen. Then commenced the long and weary work of rowing against the stream of prejudice. With a whole State against us, with even our country, so far as it knew us, looking on in doubt, with colored people, who held the most absurd notions of freedom and learning, flocking to us, we found ourselves under a heavy burden.