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their regs removed from view. Some very liberal donations
have been made to this enterprise, and it has always been an
interesting part of the school to me, and I hope benevolence will
prevail to an extent sufficient to keep it in operation during the
year. The children who come to school as steadily as we oblige
them to (never missing five days in the month) cannot earn their
own living, much less clothe themselves, and their parents have
a hard enough time to support them while they are attending
school. They have to make the effort to make the garment ia
the sewing school, and that seems to me better than to give them
the garment already made. The grown people are having all
kinds of experience now, incident to their condition of ignorance
and their transition state. They still cling tothe idea of ob-
taining land, and many of them have struggled along and paid
as much as one hundred dollars upon certain tracts, and the
owner has given them imperfect titles, or in many cases become
bankrupt, and could give none. And when they have money,
they fear to put it anywhere to draw interest, they have so little
confidence in the white people, and say they cannot read or
write, and therefore fear to let the money out of their own pos-
session. One old woman told me she had had fifty dollars for
eight years, but did not want to lend it for fear she would lose
it. I tried to explain to her how she could obtain interest, but
she said it would do for them that could read and write, but it
would not do for her. All she said she was willing to do was to
buy a piece of ground with the money to leave to her daughter.
Although nearly all the planters about here are so poor they
-can hardly get the necessaries of life, they will not part with
their land to the colored people; they are so afraid of breaking
down that caste that is so precious to them. ‘The difference be-
tween the land owner anda the cultivators of the soil is so great,
that to mingle the two, which would so soon make prosperity
here, is what is so obnoxious to them. ‘This prejudice must give
way in time, but nothing but the pangs of hunger will ever
bring these Southern people to it. They have got this much of
their lesson learned, to be willing to dispose of some of their
vast tracts of land to Northern men coming here desiring to
plant, so as to retain and be able to cultivate on the old plan a
small part of these plantations. Poverty exists to a discouraging
extent among both white and black, owing to the failure of the
crop for two years past. The colored people have the advantage,
however, as they are willing to work; but of course they are
very ignorant and lack management, and have much suffering to
endure. Still, when we contrast their present with their past,
then their destiny is glorious: and there is so much promise in