tend for three months consecutively; and having
thus prepared the way, and without ever failing to visit the most
unapproachable, it was deemed advisable to reopen the School in
November, 1856. The attendance increased by some thirty, with a minor
sprinkling of men and women. Shoes and clothes were distributed in
March, but the number soon after commenced diminishing, until June,
1857, when the School, as in the previous year, had to be closed for a
second time. Two great advantages had, however, been developed. Their
ready acceptance of shoes and clothes given and distributed in our room
was a powerful argument in my hands to answer their objection to the
room; and among the floating attendance I had noticed a score or so of
regular pupils upon whom I concentrated my best attention and every
possible encouragement, in the conviction that the result of my efforts
in that direction would prove efficacious to attract others. And, in
fact, when the improvement of these twenty attendants became known, it
was found comparatively easy to persuade others to school.

"It had now become evident to me that, with adequate exertions and
inducements, the School could be established on a permanent and working
order; and on the following September we recommenced operations with
better promise. But a narrow-minded opposition partially marred our
success this year. An Italian priest, called Rebiccio, from the
confessional and from the pulpit, flung ferocious anathemas at all who
permitted their children to attend our School. He even went from house
to house to use his influence in the same direction. I sent a deputation
of my oldest scholars to remonstrate with him and correct his
misapprehensions by assuring him that we had no sectarian teachings.
These same boys I took with me in visiting a number of the most
superstitious families, and for the same purpose, but in both cases of
no avail; only, instead of justifying myself, I found that these boys
were equally suspected of complicity, some even assuming that they had
already been converted. I felt disheartened, not because I did not hope
to overcome all obstacles by patience, prudence, and perseverance, but
because I could scarcely realize the actual occurrence of such an
unflinching, unprincipled, and unjust persecution, or, what was still
worse, of such credulous stupidity as was shown by the very people we
intended to elevate.

Prompted by these feelings, I then wrote a letter to