NEGRO RACE IN AMERICA. 161
faithful mothers spend many weary nights at the
ironing-board and wash-tub in order to get money
to help their children obtain an education. With
the start they now have, twenty-five years more of
earnest work will show marvellous changes in the
educational condition of the race No people ever
learned more in so short a time.
MUSICAL PROGRESS.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers have sung the fame
of the Negro in all America, much of Europe and
Australia. The slave music is the only original
music of America. The Indian has none, and white
Americans have borrowed from the masters of
Europe. Negro melodies are now a part of the
classical music of this country. The peculiarity of
Negro song is its pathos and trueness to nature. It
stirs the soul and revives a sunken hope. Travel¬
lers describe the music of the native African as sung
in a major key, which key characterizes the songs
of a conquering people. Slavery has not extracted
this characteristic totally from the American Negro's
songs. While he sings not the conquering major
of battle, he thrills you with the pleasing minor of
hope. Dr. Talmage says: "Everybody knows the
natural gift of the African for singing. No singing
on this continent like that of the colored churches
in the South. Everybody going to Richmond or
Charleston wants to hear the Africans sing."
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