We wish our friends at the North could see how well these colored children carry through the Bible Exercises and other recitations.
Every Monday at 4 P. M., the women meet at the “Home” for an hour of prayer. They have no clocks to tell the time by; but as most of them live in sight, I hang a white flag on the gatepost, fifteen minutes before the hour. We call this our “Gospel flag!”
The prayers of these women are marked by an unquestioning trust. They ask directly for what they want, without getting entangled in the formalities of more educated Christians, and they evidently feel that they speak into a listening ear.
Their faces often beam with pleasure as they hear the reading of the Bible. “What a glorious chapter this is!—it feels so holy!”—one of them said.
They need these hours of prayer, for life with them is hard, and pinched, and poor, and in their small houses of one or two rooms, full of little children, washing and ironing, and cooking, these mothers have no “closet” where they may shut themselves in for communion with Jesus, and get patience and strength for the day. But are not their prayers heard, as they stand by the tub, washing for the rich?—or bend over the cradle, in which, for some, there is always a baby—or cook the meal, which to us would seem so scanty? A woman once told me, that in slavery times, she went down in the garden, among the butter-beans, to pray—and there she had such a season of joy, that when she came in, and took her place at her master’s table, to brush away the flies, “’pear’d like glory was in de fly-brush!”
For the last five months, we have had an afternoon school for children under 14 years of age, here at the “Home.” A large room on the back gallery was fitted up for them, and here twenty-five children come every day and are taught from 1 to 4 o’clock.
Besides the ordinary book lessons, their young teacher instructs them in good manners, neatness and simple fancy-work, and gives each day a half-hour talk on birds, plants or animals, illustrated by pictures on the blackboard.
The children are quick to learn and eager for all kinds of information, which they take home and repeat to their parents, when the work of the day is done.
Some of these parents who cannot even read themselves, are “proud” to hear their children talk intelligently about Washington, or Napoleon, or Henry Bergh.
This is our third winter among the Freedmen, but we feel that we are just learning how to be missionaries, and how to get at the people, and meet them in their great needs. Are we happy in our work? Yes; happy and content. Even in our “small corner” we have the Master’s presence, and feel it a privilege to work among His lowly ones.