NORTH CAROLINA.

Facts About the Taught and the Teachers.

MRS. ALFRED CONNET, M^cLEANSVILLE.

We have been here seventeen months. During this time I have refrained from expressing myself in regard to the negroes and our work among them. Every day we are more and more convinced of their deep degradation; in fact, it is entirely beyond anything we had imagined.

They seem to be guilty of the whole category of sins, but, perhaps, their untruthfulness is most prominent. We cannot have a self-reporting system in school, but there are some noble exceptions to the general rule.

The most pitiable objects are those women who have families, but never had husbands. One such woman last fall told me that she was going to gather “shoemake” (shumac) leaves that week, and get her a pair of shoes. Saturday afternoon, she stopped on her way home from the store. “Well, Aunty, did you get your shoes?” “No; Mr. F. showed me so much purty caliker that I bought me a dress.” She already had about a dozen calico dresses. “But what will you do for shoes?” “I don’t know; but I prays to the good Lord to keep me from getting sick when I get my feet wet.” I guess He heard her, for she is well. In contrast with this, the woman who washes for us saves up her wages and buys just what she and her child really need.

The women have not made as much advancement as the men; but there is good reason for this. They have gone to the field as regularly as the men, and have had their cooking and housework to do; and, in addition to this, they have borne a child every year or two. When they come to church they have these small children to care for. They were pleased when they learned that the “new minister” was glad to see them and their babies. It is hard to hold their attention, they are so tired, and have so much to think about what they shall eat and wear. We wish we could do them more good; but we must turn our energies principally to the young.

Sin and temptation beset the young girls on every side, and, alas! too many of them yield. One asked me in regard to that terrible, nameless crime. I told her that the life of the child was just as sacred before birth as after birth. She said that the crime was quite common here. Mr. C. has since preached against it.

Faith in God is very strong in some of them. One dear Aunty, who has a very large family, and much to do, said: “When I feels so tired, I just ask the Lord to give me strength to finish this washing, or whatever I am doing, and he does it.” Her husband is our Sunday-school Superintendent, and their children are the best educated of any in the neighborhood. This family belongs to three races—white, black and red—the latter predominating.

Some of the people seemed to get the idea that we were so anxious for their children to attend school that they could dictate to us, and they encouraged their children to rebel against necessary government. One girl who ran away from school wrote a note acknowledging her wrong and asking forgiveness; of course she was gladly received back. Seven young men and two girls are doing their own cooking so that they can remain longer. Five others are paying board.

We have some very dull scholars. We have some bright ones. One young man, fourteen months ago, did not know his letters. Now he reads in National Third Reader and United States history, has commenced grammar and geography, and is in fractions in arithmetic. One pupil, who is a minister, is over thirty years of age. Three other scholars are twenty-nine. Nearly all the larger ones are teachers, or are preparing to teach. I think they will do much good for their people.

I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that the negro does not investigate or reason much, but acts according to his feelings. Even the babies do not tear up their playthings to see what is inside of them.

They are full of signs and superstitious notions. Our little girl, Addie, showed a very small hen’s egg to some little girls. One of them said: “My mother never allows us to take one into the house, it is bad luck; but it is good luck to throw it over the house, and we always do that.”

Mr. C. and I both teach six hours per day. Sometimes after school we take the carriage and go to see some sick person. Last week we went three miles to see one poor sick woman, who has lost the use of one eye and is nearly blind in the other. She is a great sufferer, but said, “My many afflictions and tribulations bring me near the Lord, and I am so proud to see you all.” Last Saturday we went four miles to see an old man who is probably on his death-bed. He was sixty-three years a slave, is a Christian, has united with the church since we came, and said that if he never met us here on earth again, he hoped to in heaven. We sent him some food suitable for him.

We see so much destitution that we can’t help giving until we feel it. We do almost entirely without butter, and frequently without sugar. We live very plainly, but contentedly. One man told in church how much good it did him, when Mr. C. visited him last summer, and assured him that his child was not past recovery. It was a long ride of fourteen miles on horseback under a burning Southern sun; but it greatly encouraged these humble Christians. They are so ignorant that when they get sick, they think somebody has poisoned them. They do not seem to have any confidence in each other. One young woman, who spent five years with Miss Douglass, assured me that she would not take medicine from a colored doctor, if he was ever so well educated—“Because I am afraid he might be mad at me and poison me.” It seems discouraging when years of good training fail to eradicate such silly notions.

We are in a Ku Klux neighborhood, twenty white families within a mile of us; but only three of these have ever made us a social call.

Our children have no associates. I am glad that there are six of them and not just one or two.

We are obliged to keep one of the older children out of school to take care of the babies, aged two and four years. I think it would be a sin to leave them in the care of any of these colored people, the greater part of each day. They are so ignorant and sinful and superstitious, that I am sure they would poison their young minds. Perhaps that is the reason the Southern people have given so much trouble, they have had such ignorant nurses.

Our Sunday-school is large and doing well. We have large classes because we have so few competent teachers; we are trying to train others. Church services are well attended. Our work is made up of lights and shades, but we like it, and thank the Lord that He permits us to be humble workers in this part of His vineyard.