Augusta: Amelia [Unknown family name] to Eddie [Unknown family name], December 11, 1869

I am sorry to know you have been so sick and suffered so much. However I hope you are better now and able to see read this letter. Do not wonder if I put in many things wrong as the girls seem to be possessed with a talking mania to-night. We have been so quiet before that it makes more difference with me than I thought possible. I have my scholars all to myself now and like it first rate. I have not whipped any yet and dont think I shall as Amelia has given me permission to send all unruly ones to her to deal with. They are going to have compositions next Wednesday. Some of them have never written any before and I expect they will be funny enough. I will send you in this; a specimen of some poetry one of my young boys tried to write. The other day an Indian visited our school. He was seven feet high and just as straight and erect as could be. He was eighty years old. His hair was white as snow as stood up all over his head. He had a fur cap bag slung across his shoulder. We did not know who he was and felt rather frightened when we saw him walking in. He introduced himself as the father of some of our best scholars. He is a kind of doctor among the colored people. He was formerly a slave from Florida: but travelled with his master nearly all over the Union. He is very entertaining telling hunting stories as well as stories of the war I wished you could go with me some day to the cabin they live in out by the great fire place filled with blazing logs and hear him tell stories. One of his boys is very smart only nine years old and reading nicely in the fourth reader. I am quite proud of my scholars I can tell you, they are getting on so well. The night school is just as amusing as ever, and I cannot help laughing. The colored people here are going to have an exhibition next week. They have got it all up themselves. They are going to have some tableaux too. I expect it will be as good as going to the minastrel and better too as that is all sham and this will be the real article. I have picked out three pieces for some of my boys to speak and that is all I have had to do with it. I wrote a letter to Roland to-day and am going to try and write him oftener in the future as I shall have more time now. Mr Cristy wote me a nice long letter the other day telling me all about Alberts conversion. They must be very glad and I hope he will make a true earnest christian. Here is the poetry James Tynell had in his composition. The "title" of the composition was this, where he got it from I am sure I do not know, "Who ought to have the credit Columbus or Washington? Columbus for settling discovering it or Washington for settling it." He took the side of Columbus, I copied the whole thing and will bring it home with me, it is a great curiousity. Here is the poetry I will write it on the top of the first page. Try and get well and write me a nice long letter,