to make them
easy to ascend or descend. The church will seat 600 persons and cost
about $40,000. In connection with its religious activities St.
Cyprian's has a parochial school and academy located on 8th and D
Streets, five blocks west. This is the gift of one Miss Atkins, one of
the most thrifty of Negro women of the community, who had been a
student at St. Francis Academy in Baltimore.

DOCUMENTS

THE EXPERIENCE OF A GEORGIA PEON--MY ESCAPE FROM BONDAGE[1]

It was on a faraway plantation, where the big bell rang out the
call to work, and the overseer shouted at the top of his voice,
"All in line." For twenty-seven years I was one among the groups
that must hearken to the call of the big bell.

Some years ago the owners of these plantations agreed among
themselves to let the colored people have schools, with the
understanding that no one should be admitted as a pupil who was
old enough to work. So I found myself among those who had to
work. I hardly know how the thought came into my mind that I
wanted to go to school, for there was no talk of schools around
the fireside, but for some cause that I cannot explain I became
possessed with the longing for an education. I did not know what
for, but, with all my heart, I wanted to go to school.

There were ten of us in our family, including our father. Our
mother departed into the beyond when we were very small. Our
father was an easy-going man. Any way would do for him. Whatever
_was_ was right. Whenever I told him that I wanted to go to
school he would answer, "You know what the boss says." But I
would reply, "Father, he can't _make_ me stay here." That was to
him a piece of foolishness and he would turn away and say nothing
more. At last I saw that I must do my own thinking and plan my
own way of leaving. For ten years school was my chief thought.
Every day I saw myself turning from the old plantation to what
was for me the land of freedom and opportunity.

It was years before the opportunity came. One night I said to my
father, "I am going to leave on the first day of May if it costs
me my life." For the first time he seemed to realize that I was
in earnest. Then he said, "If you leave me you will travel in my
tears." That was a horrible thought to me so I did not leave then
nor until several more years