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8:
it. I still have the forty-five dollars contributed by the freed-
men in aid of our school awaiting your instruction as to its ap-
propriation.”

Mary EF. McBride, at Fairfax Court House, Va., continues to
have a good school, and notwithstanding her suffering from an
affection of her eyes, is still laboring faithfully. She states that
Col. Lee has initiated arrangements for making their ‘* Acad-
emy”’ habitable; (the contemplated repairs have probably been
completed ere this;) and any one who has seen what may well
be termed the ‘‘ ¢mpromptu”’ school-houses, too often found in
the South, can readily comprehend how much they need this
kind of attention. She also gives us the gratifying information
that Mr. Sagar, the owner of the land on which the school-
house stands, has kindly given us the use of it for another year
or more.

For this and past favors received from him, the Association,
and doubtless the Freedmen, who are most intimately interested,
feel very grateful, and the more so, knowing, as some of us do,
the sacrifices necessarily accompanying the act. She further
alludes to a visit from a “ Captain commissioned by Gen. How-
ard to report concerning schools in this county. He spent
nearly all day with us, and was very much gratified. He thought
(and so did I) that my little ones passed a very creditable exami-
nation. On Christmas day the children were delighted, and
happier than on any previous occasion, judging from their re-
marks and actions. They all told me to thank their kind friends

for their trouble and expense.”’ -

Frances E. Gauze, haying charge of our Primary School at
Mt. Pleasant, writes : |

‘‘ My school is increasing, now averaging sixty-eight in daily
attendance. ‘There are several large boys who can only come
through the winter, and I feel anxious to give them every chance.
Cornelia has one of her large girls to assist me, and it keeps us
both busy to get through with the exercises. My assistant ex-
hibits considerable proficiency in teaching, and I would suggest
whether some little remuneration’ for her services would not be
an incentive for her to prepare herself for a teacher.

“ T have a number of large boys and girls who come five miles
togschool, and there are others who go to the expense of board-

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