How I
used to envy this man! He seemed to me to be the one young man in all
the world who ought to be satisfied with his attainments.
About this time the question of having some kind of a school
opened for the coloured children in the village began to be discussed
by members of the race. As it would be the first school for Negro
children that had ever been opened in that part of Virginia, it was,
of course, to be a great event, and the discussion excited the wildest
interest. The most perplexing question was where to find a teacher.
The young man from Ohio who had learned to read the papers was
considered, but his age was against him. In the midst of the
discussion about a teacher, another young coloured man from Ohio, who
had been a soldier, in some way found his way into town. It was soon
learned that he possessed considerable education, and he was engaged
by the coloured people to teach their first school. As yet no free
schools had been started for coloured people in that section, hence
each family agreed to pay a certain amount per month, with the
understanding that the teacher was to "board 'round" -- that is, spend
a day with each family. This was not bad for the teacher, for each
family tried to provide the very best on the day the teacher was to be
its guest.
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