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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