On Thursday was the Anniversary. The course of study having been extended one year, there was no graduating class. The exercises consisted of essays by members of the upper classes, the recitation of a few poems, one or two dialogues, and music. The music was very good, the dialogues natural, the recitations well chosen and well spoken, that entitled “Mona’s Water” being very strongly rendered; but the most interesting part of this entertainment was the essays. Three prizes had been offered, and three gentlemen of the city acted as judges, to decide on the merits of the different essays. All were called good, and with reason. Those of the youngest class in essay writing were delightfully child-like, natural and original. That on “Intemperance,” to which the prize was awarded, had besides a strong-hearted earnestness and depth of thought that were surprising. The essays of the middle class showed more mature thought, or, perhaps, a reaching out towards mature thought—a calm looking forward and trying to prepare for earnest living. The prize in this class came to the essay entitled, “We Learn not for School, but for Life.” The essays of the upper class seemed to have for a key-note a sentiment we always find among the best of our people here, when we get at their hearts and hopes and aspirations—the elevation of their race. Do not think there was any sameness in these essays. Each reached this thought in a different way. It gleamed out in “Everything was Made to be Happy;” it made itself felt as one of the foundations of “Progress;” and it formed the crown of the prize essay, “Nothing Great is Lightly Won,” when, after brave words calling to action, it closed with the quotation from Longfellow’s “Psalm of Life:” “Lives of great men all remind us, We may make our lives sublime,” etc., leaving one with the thought that helping others is the best and greatest work here, and that our lives must be right towards God if we would really help. In the evening of this same day the Normal exhibition was held. Every part of the programme was well executed. C. * * * * * LEWIS HIGH SCHOOL. REV. S. E. LATHROP, MACON, GA.