and boy to us with a message. Meeting him
later in the day, I said, "I saw your servant this morning." "Yes, ze
nigger. He mudder fooley in St. Thomas." I made some effort to ascertain
what were the educational advantages afforded in the capital. I found
there a school for boys, under the immediate charge of the Catholic
clergy. Hearing also of a school for girls, founded and administered by
a young woman of the city, I called one day to find out what I could of
her and of her work. She was the daughter of a woman physician who had
much reputation in the place. Her mother had received no technical
medical education, but had practiced nursing under the best doctors, and
had also acquired through experience a considerable understanding of the
uses of herbs. She was a devout Catholic, and having once been
desperately ill, had vowed her infant daughter to the Virgin in case of
her recovery. The daughter had not entered a convent, but had devoted
herself to the training of young girls. She appeared to be a very modest
and simple person, and was pleased to have me inspect the needlework,
maps, and copy books of her pupils.

"At any rate, I keep them out of the street," she said. Francois, my
first colored acquaintance at the capital, had spoken to me of a Bible
society formed there. It was a secret association, and he told me
several times that its members earnestly desired to make my
acquaintance. I finally arranged with him to attend one of their
meetings, and went, in his company, to a building in which an inner room
was set apart for their use. I was ushered into this with some ceremony,
and found a company of natives of various shades of color. On a raised
platform were seated the presiding officers of the occasion. Presently
one of these rang his bell and began to address me in a rather
high-flown style, assuring me that my noble works were well understood
by those present, and that they greatly desired to hear from me. I was
much puzzled at this address, feeling almost certain that nothing that I
had ever done would have been likely to penetrate the atmosphere of this
isolated spot. The speech was in Spanish and I was expected to reply in
the same language. This I was not able to do, my knowledge of Spanish
being limited to a few colloquial phrases. The French language answered
pretty well, however, and in this I managed to express my thanks for the
honor done me and my sincere interest in the welfare of the island. All