9

or calculation. This affects their interest very much in settling upon.
land.

“Their chief anxiety is to get possession of land; and a very
common contract here is to give them possession of land for two years,
for the sake of clearing. This they accept, and it invariably proves
a good bargain for the planter, and a poor one for the colored man.
You cannot reason with them, as you could were they possessed of
educated intelligence; for anything that is to occur in two years is
almost beyond their reckoning. ‘The care the planter extended to
them in slavery developed this improvidence for the future, and the
present is a much more important time for them than any other.
How much I wish the Government had apportioned them some con-
fiscated land at the close of the war. Had that been done, by this
time thrifty little farms would have been the result; but now they
live two years in a place until the land becomes productive, when
the planter takes possession again, and another two years’ labor must
be commenced that will end the same. I hope yet for some liberal
legislation, either through General or State Governments; but let
what will be done now,—much time has been lost. I consider the
schools have been the only systematic agency for permanent good, and
I hope every contributor to their support may have the feeling that
the money has not been wasted.

“An education bill is being passed in this State, that, during
another year, may get into working order, so as to relieve our friends
from the support of this school; but I hope this school year may be
continued under their auspices, so as to make no break in the contin-
uous training of these children. Some of our best scholars have left
this place to live in Charleston, and they have been sufficiently ad-
vanced to enter the best classes of the schools in that city. So our
school must have kept pace with theirs.

_“ We re-opened the schools at the beginning of the new year, and
the cotton season being past, they were large, and have continued with
a good average. Our unfinished building is being gradually brouglit
nearer to completion: Friends at Kennett Square, through Dr. Men-
denhall and H. Darlington, have furnished Mary P. Jacobs with
funds to put a good ceiling upon the large room up stairs, and Fanny
HK. Gauze, with the aid of relatives and friends, has much improved
the condition of hers. My contributions have put our class-room in
complete school order with black-boards all round the room, &e.; so
I feel quite contented with its present appearance, although we still
need books.

“Your school at Rickersville, which Isabella Lenair teaches, has
been prosperous, and has given great satisfaction to that neighborhood.
The Sewing School is of great interest to me still; it is now open
every afternoon, and the children are improving rapidly. Several
girls have determined to make dresses. We have tried to make the
school pay something, by taking in sewing; and some weeks our
dividends have gone up as high as seventeen cents each. That may

‘