The Port Gibson reveille., 1909-05-20
Appreciates Port Gibson.
the people of Port Gibson:

you before ! leave, / wish, thro'
The Reveille to say a few words
to you.
Last September I came to you
stranger; I leave now feeling that
| am one of you. know not how
to express to you my gratitude and
appreciation for the many express
sions of kindness and good will
that you have shown toward me.
1t seems to me that almost every
one in the town has done some
thing toward making my stay
among you a pleasant one. But
especially do l wish to thank you
for what you have done for me
since my sickness and ''imprison-
ment.'' Tho it was bad enough
and lonely at the best, yet not for
one single hour did you allow me
to feel that / was forgotten. Ev-
erything that could be done to
make things brighter for me was
done, and had it not been for my
work beng broken into, l would
truthfully say that | am glad had
the smallpox in Port Gibson; for
it has shown me what good people
we have here, and more has been
done to make Port Gibson a real
home to me than could have been
done in any other way.
AS to our school work, tho we
have had some hindrances and dis
couragements, yet, on the whole,
the work has been good and | am
well pleased with it. Much of the
credit for what we believe has
been a successful years work is
due to my faithful and efficient as
sistants. l believe it would be
hardly possible tor any corps of
teachers to work together with less
friction than have we.
Another thing that has been a
great help is the fact that we have
had such hearty cooperation from
the Board of Trustees. This is
not always true and that makes us
appreciate the more. / have said
before and repeat, that no better
board could be selected than that
composed of Messrs. Morehead,
Rogers, Turner and Hall.
Then much praise is due the pu-
pills themselves. Certainly we have
had our ups and downs; we have
made mistakes and had our differ
ences, but l believe that there now
exists a friendly and sympathetic
feeling between teachers and pu-
pills that cannot be excelled in any
school, This tender personal touch
is very sweet to me. And to you,
my pupils, who have done so
much to make my work pleasant,
I extend my heartfelt thanks. In
numberless ways you have shown
your sympathy and love, and / as
sure you that every kind word and
deed shall always be cherished
by me as a blessed memory.
And now my friends, believe
that l have done the best / could.
l came here to serve. I consid-
cred that not only the few hours l
have spent each day in the school
room, but all my time belonged to
the people of Port Gibson and es-
pecially to the young people. I
have tried to use that time in the
way that would mean the most to
them. How well l have succeeded,
| know not. No doubt you can
see both the good and bad parts of
the work more clearly than we.
That mistakes have been made, l
well know, but can truthfully say
that with the light given men, ]
have tried to do my duty as I saw
it, without regard to what anyone
might think.
I sincerely hope that something
has been done in addition to what
has been learned in books that will
tend to make our boys honest, self
useful citizens and our
girls pure, cultured, refined ard
noble women. If l did not hope
that my work at least points that
way, l would be a teacher no long
er.
And what shall the future be 7
Port Gibson is not yet doing for
her children what she ought to do.
shall not be satisfied until we