7

month among the colored people. Iam taxing them twenty cents a
piece, and they all seem willing to give that.

“* Yesterday I visited eight families:; they are all settled on land,
but have not paid for it yet, although ‘hey are in a fair way of doing
well when they once get a fair start. I called on one old couple aged
92 and 80 respectively. They are very smart, and appear to have
every thing around them to make them comfortable. Uncle Cesar,
(aged 92) makes shoes, tubs, buckets, &c., and comes to First-day
School, seldom missing a day !

‘It is very pleasant to go round amongst these people and re-
ceive the small tokens of their friendship. One place I visited, they
were weaving their cloth or homespun, they say it takes a month to
weave one piece.

‘‘How much patience and labor it requires merely to get a little
clothing to wear. They are aiming to raise cotton enough to clothe
themselves, Further than that they seem to think it does not pay.

‘‘ How the spirit of self dependence permeates them—and how
the industrial education that has been bestowed upon them is begin-
ning to bring forth good fruit.” -

CaroLine THomas, formerly in our employ, after delineat-
ing the position she occupies with her school, being, to some
extent, independent of the Government officials, remarks :—

‘* T sometimes fear the free schools, in many cases, will not result
in much good to the colored people. For instance, in the Leesburg
district there are five schools for the whites and only one for the
colored population, although the trustees of this district seem inclined
to do the tair thing as regards an equal distribution for the two races,
Some days I think my school is very interesting, and that I wouid
like some of my friends at the North to step in; at other times I feel
disheartened fora season, especially when a large, full-grown man
cannot spell ‘ b-o-o-k,? or when so many of them make so many errors
in arithmetic.’

She, closes with a feeling allusion to the death of the late
THomas. GaRRETT, having the assurance that “the messenger
found him ready for the summons.” We are always pleased to
hear from this faithful laborer, and hope the mutual interest
now felt may ever continue.

Our energetic friend, CHALKLEY GILLINGHAM, writes from
Woodlawn, and thus acknowledges an appropriation made by
our Association :—

‘Please accept my hearty thanks to all the Friends concerned,