equality," that shadow of a something that never did, and never can, exist, that bug-bear of illiberal minds and narrow culture, does not stand guard at the doors of this church to drive away the colored worshipper or compel him to sit at the second table at the Lord's feast. Is it to be wondered at, then, that the colored people are flocking to the Catholic fold? This they will continue to do, so long as the spirit of caste dictates the policy, and governs the action, of the white Protestants of the United States. * * * * * THE SOUTH. VACATION ECHOES. REV. G.S. ROLLINS. I wish some of our home friends who complain of dull, unprofitable prayer-meetings could step into one of the kind we have in our colored churches. One soon loses sight of mispronunciation and wretched grammar in listening to the sensible, meaty, forceful ideas which many of these negroes can express. You cannot go to a prayer-meeting without bringing something away. One good old mother in Israel said to me lately, in regard to the weekly prayer-meeting: "I begins in de mawnin' to lay my plans fur dat meetin', an I don stop ter eat so's to get my work along froo de day. And I tinks and prays a heap about dat meetin' all day, I does." How many of you at home do as much for your prayer-meeting as this poor old colored woman? No dull summer prayer-meetings when church members go prepared like this. I have said that these people have ideas and can express them. At my last prayer-meeting before departing for my vacation, one good brother prayed that the "Lord would bless the pastor in his absence and continue to fill him up with new things, so he can give them out to us." The pastor is filling up as fast as possible. One of the questions most often asked is, "Are the colored people improving?" One has to say, "Of course they are." But are they progressing rapidly? Yes and no. Yes, considering their antecedents and present advantages. No, if one were to measure their rate of progress by our impatience. The surest progress is not the swiftest. Slow and sure is the rule by which we work. Statistics but feebly tell the story of the improvement of the Freedmen since the war. They can best testify concerning the advance who have been in the field since the beginning of the work. But even if it is slow, it pays well. There came into my church one Sunday not long ago a poor old lady who was a comparative stranger in the city. During the sermon she sat with mouth, eyes and ears open. After the service she came to me and said, "I tank de Lord He bro't me year. I done been gwine ter church dese fifty years, an I nebber heard de tex 'splained befo." This old lady has since united with our church, and when she is not there I know something serious is the matter at her home. It is worth a year's preaching to have the privilege of enlightening one benighted soul like this.