The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-11

ynlS cltys tuu VIII, no uOuOt, DC Pc
rused with pleasure by his many Co.
lored friends resident here: 4,
HARTFORD, Conn, May 2, 1867.
My DEAR AND HoNoKED FATHER:
My mind turns back to you almost us
frequently as its powers are brought
into separate action. and always with
nm interest that animates and quick
ems my pulse; for, under God, it is
by your good influence and tenchings
that I am prepared to enjoy those
blessings which He has so richly
scattered in my path in all my on
ward progress in life. How could it
be. otherwise than that yopr image
should be with me, unless I should
prove unworthy of yon?
Let mo say something about our
school examina' IN. The examina-
tion began on Wednesday, April "a,
and ended on Friday, the Goth. T
went to school thnt morning, and I
thought that when they should call
me up that 1 would faint. At 8
o'clock, the school was called to order.
The Superintendent announced that
each scholar should be ready to write
of his examination. In moment,
every boy ready with his slate and
pencil was waiting for orders. The
teacher reads out an examination in
arithmetic, and every boy copies. All
the examples are read once more,
and then the teacher says: "You may
perform tho examples and write your
question and answer on piece of
writing paper, which / will give you. I"
She brings around the paper, aud the
boys begin to write.
At II o'clock, we are summoned to
bring our papers and lny them en the
piano. The papers are nll laid on the
piano, and every boy waiting to hear
the report. That evening, we had an
examination in grammar. Next day.
i'll geography. Friday morning, the
Superintendent said: "Boys, do you
think any boy who did not get two of
his examples right ought to have any
promotion?" The answer was. from
every boy, "No, sir" He asked the
girls, and received the same answer.
Then he began to read out the boys
and girls who did not get two, some
got one and some got more. L sat
and listened, amid tho laughter OF the
boys, to hear my destiny; but, thanks
to God, L did not hear it in that list.
Those boys and girls had to go back
into that very class that 1 entered
-when first went to school and found
them in. felt for them, for 1 know
how they felt. That morning, when
/ was going to school, 1 met Mr..
Harris, the Superintendent, and he
said to me, "Well, James, how did
you get along in the examinntion?'
L said, "I don't know how 1 have
succeeded, but I done the best
could, SIR" He said, when he was
reading out the report. "Master
Smith, in Miss Graham's first class.
Now, scholars, here is q boy who has
been going to school just since 1865,
and has come up here among you all
who have been going to school all
your life. He was first in your class
two weeks ago. and now he has gone
above you. Next year, if he goes to
the high school and leaves you here,
how will you feel?" So that ended
my struggle, and now I am i'll the
first class; and I hope, as long rs
live, whatever position L am placed
in, it will always be in the first class.
The pen that 1 write this letter with
is the one that I wrote my examina-
ton with. L shall keep it rs re-
membrance Of that first promotion.
But let me reflect. There is some
thing that / have forgotten. There
is a certain person who has done
more for me than this pen ever could
have done. Who is that person?
Who taught me to use this pen? 1t
was Miss Carrie 81. Loomis. Through
her influence, from the 18TH of No
vember, 1866, to the 25th of June,
1866, and from the 18th of October,
1866, to the 29th of March, 1857,
was taught what I now enjoy. She
laid the foundation upon which I now
attempt to build; and if God sees fit
to spare my life, Mr.. David Clark will
erect upon that foundation n mansion
which neither gold nor silver cnn re-
move.
saw something in the Hartford
Daily Post, the other day, about a
meeting of colored citizens held in
Columbia, which was addressed by
Governor Orr. It made my heart
leap for Joy when I read it. Old
South Carolina, the "Palmetto
State" is my home. All that [ hold
dear is in her boundary and under
her DrotectiOn. What coul6 nrevent