Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-04-06
A Hancock County School Teacher in Dixie
to the American.
MCNEILLs, HAMPTON Co, s. c.,
March 2O Isp3

MCNEILLs, HAMPTON Co, S. c.,
March 20. 1898
| Editor american DO you care to hear
| again from this corner of the Sunny
South?' Sunny now. and for some we k
| back, but for nearly a month following
Christmas. we had severe wea her for this
latitude. Snow fell and actually remained
on the ground for three or four days.
Our coloret friends were greatly aston
ished. They scarcely dared stir away
from their 6resides and declared that they
''neber seed anything Ike dis yere hefo T"
Such weather causes much suffering where
people are so totally unprepared for tie
cold, As is the case with many Of them
mere. Happily it does not last long. Our
spring commenced early in February and
now seems well advanced.
When | wrote you last fall | WAS sin
alone here. 1t was a happy DAY for me
when one morning In November. there
stepped of Of the train here, a bright.
pleasant young school teacher from keeue.
y. III. She had cheerfully and voluntarily
come to share my labors. with whatever
there might be Of trials and sacrifices As
well as Of Joy. need not add that she
has proven \ most excellent assistant As
well a. pleasant companion. She found
me with over ninety pupils on my hands
These speedily increased TO one hundred
and twenty, but have fallen off greatly
since the farm WORK began. Many OF the
boys have to plough and children not Dig
enough for that pick up trash" and help
'clar up lie land" We are persuaded
from applications which come 70 us, and
from what We hear on every sue that We
might have pupils enough here u Keep ~
eral teachers busy, If We only had board.
Ing houses for them Thanks to Kind
friends :" ho have been raised up. We now
have money enough TO buy This property
and 90 quite a ways towards the buildings
We desire We hope that work may begin
soon. Judge Kelley Of KpchlanI Mass.
j. now negotiating with Mr.. Steele for
the property. A. soon As it IL purchased
he intends 70 deed il over ID board Of
trustees to be used permanently for the
education of the colorcd people.
We are ENJOYING our work. We hud
many bright and promising boys and girls
among these cnlored children. The Old
negroes are given to shiftlcssne-s and i'm
providence and many Of them are uurelia-
Biz, nut have great hopes for The young
We have one little fellow about eleven
years OF age Who has Interested u. all win
ter by his evident great poverty, yet
prompt and regular attendance al school.
and apparent anxiety t. learn. His name
he gave a. jippie Governor Brown. The
trst Of the term his tuition fee of tn cent.
came regularly every Monday morning.
Later on quart of rice WAS substituted
for the money, and we noticed that Jip-
pies clothing which all along had looked
as If i; had belonged 10 former grner
alton Was becoming more and more tat
tered. Yet still he came on One day he
told Hiss g.. II tells my ma as how mus
come TO school, kase | learns 20 much"
One LAY lie startled US BY appearing Al
school with his arms bare from hls d
bows down. The day was cool and
rainy, too. His ma" had only trimmed
ot the tatters from his very much worn
jacket sleeves. The little fellow seemed
unmndful Of this and worked away as
usual. Not long after this there came a
Monday when Jlppic did not appear a.
usual at school Mis-. G. and found Our
way mot without some dtficuIty) ID Nh. |
little cabin home that night H., and hs
mother lived alone in one of the most mis-
erahle little hut, have seen vet. l.
would make my story very much prettier
II could >Ay that though very poor they
were yet tidy and clean But, alae they
were wretchedly hlthy and fear that We
went IN with some misgivings which were
Increased a. we sat dytrn.
Jippies mother told Us her story. Her
life had been an immoral one, but her boy
was all that was left 10 her now and her
hearts affections centered upon him She
had sent him TO school for while with
picking. When that was gone she had
sent rice; now she could spare no more of
that. 1t 50 happened that only the Sa,ur
day before | had received money for two
scholarships from the Busy Bees" a mis-
sion band in Lamoine. Then | told the
mother of this band of children who for
Christ's sake had worked and saved and
sent this money to help along poor chill
dren, and because they had done this she
might send her boy and feel that his tut
ton was paid. The poor woman and her
boy were made quite happy by this
A new impulse has been given to our
Sunday school work by some bible les
son pictures sent US by a kind lady in Ma
chias and by an organ which we have OBJ
tanned the use of and are hoping to buy
The people are all delighted with the lat
ter and seem never to tire of its music.
Yours very truly,