The Washington bee., 1897-08-28
Two Years Among the Freedmen
BY ANNA ELLIS.
Written TOR the BEE.

, >
empty; it contained a large school,
room with homemade desks and
/ benches and slated blaCk-boards, with
two dining rooms in the rear for the
teacher, which were furnished mostly
with homemade furniture. over the
whole was a large attic, for the most
part unfloored.
Trained as | had been by that great
good man and lover of justice and
right, Phillips Brooks, and finding this
! building had been erected by Gen. ..
| O. Howard for the education OF the
/ Colored race, | took possession and
| opened a school.
! The first day of opening, the school
was crowded with colored children OF
all shades, eager for an education.
From accounts sent North expected
to find the colored people an idle,
shiftiesS race, but what was my sur
prise to find that every negro in that
vicinity owned some land with a COM
Portable log or frame house thereon.
Their method of buying the land
was unique: there was much wood in
the vicinity, with two streams, branch
es of Chesapeake Bay; the colored
people bought the ground with the
wood upon it and double its usual val
ue, and cut and shared the wood to pay
the owners for their land.
Men and women would work hard
all day in the fields, or cutting down
wood, and go to school at night to
"larn their books.
There were many illegitimate chill
dren among their number, and when
these children were born they were
adopted by the grandparents OF the
mother and never knew that they were
not their own children.
Speaking one day to an old black
woman Of this evil, she said, 'MisSuS,
when we belonged to our owners, eb-
cry chile that was born was 50 much
property, jist like oXes (oXen) or
horses, ard they did not keer how dey
cum, and dat ebil clingS to us yit."
The colored people are very super
stitious. Once a week these people had
what they called "a rebate" (debate) in
the sChool-houSe the subjects were
peculiar, but the debaters usually ar
rived at a satisfactory conclusion to
themselves.
One evening a colored woman was
diving, and it happened to be on the
evening of the debate it was lovely
moonlight evening, and after the con-
CluSiOn of the exercises all departed
for their homes, going in groups In
their different directions.
Very tired, was just retiring, when
! heard the noise of regular stam-
Pede coming up the walk towards the
SChool-house. | went out to see, and
found about twelve men and women,
frightened dreadfully,
We've seed Chrissy's ghost"
We've seed ChrisSy's ghost !" was
the general subdued exclamation, for
one and all were too frightened to
speak loud. ChriSsy was the dying
woman. Upon questioning them they
about one-eighth of a mile from the
sChOOl-hOuse, dark object came out
of the woods and stood as if waiting
for the travellers, as the object was apss
parently on all-fourS it was either a
stray calf or very stupid dog but not
one of those men or women could be
induced to go home that night, but
spent the night in the school-house
singing and praying until dawn.
The SChool-houSe was said to be
haunted by its former occupant and
teacher, who had died from ague while
engaged in the good work, but never
saw anything more formidable than
rats and mice, which were kept in sub
lection by most excellent cat.
Chrssy, strange to say, lived two
days after that event.
/ havn heard the argument that the
unmlXed negro cannot be taught any
thing beyond certain grade. think
they are proving the untruthfulnesS of
that statement.
Ny second Christmas in that work
TO give the school genuine
Christmas tree; they had been aCCuS-
toned to a holly-buSh with the berries
on it, but not to a decorated pine tree,
sent appeals to friends in the North,
which were responded to literally.
One Philadelphia wholesale house sent
some broken lots of coral necklaces,
shawl pins and watch chains a whole |
sale candy house in that city respond |
ed with a big box of French candies, |
candy toys and canes, and | made lace |
stockings OF coarse net as reCeptacleS |
7or the candy. By the aid of a stout |
-OlOlSu hOuldu Two lIllUlSHSS cakes |
we're made, iced and garniShed with |
holly full of beautiful berries.
In the front of the school-room stood
he tree planted in large moss cover
ID box, with its branches laden with
toCkings of candy, canes, necklaces,
&c, &c. By its side was table COW
red with white cloth, trimmed with
oily, and on it were these two large |
axes. The walls were festooned with
reen and holly, and altogether the
ChoOl-room had holiday air.
And now for the ignorant negro
he exercises consisted of speaking
nd singing by the scholars of the
,hool, short address and a Merry
hristmas from your humble servant
he teacher) and distribution of the
fits.
One little girl (very black and only {
9e. years old recited "'Twas the :
light before Christmas, &C., &c ;"
Ithout an error; she had to be taught
because she could not read. Every
holar and visitor received a stocking
candy, piece of cake and gift. :
This tree was the event of their 7
res, not one (white or coIored had {
er-seen the like of it before. =