Letter from Rev. J. Day to Rev. James B. Taylor, September 25, 1858

MONROVIA - LIBERIA Extract from a Letter of Rev. J. Day MONROVIA, Sept. 25, 1858 Rev. James B. Taylor. VERY DEAR SIR: - Mr. Herndon is attending school at Day’s Hope, four hours in the day, and makes rapid improvement. It is a pity that such a mind could have had no early advantages. I have great hope of him. His habits of ranting have been formed for want of better direction. His abundant good common sense, with the grace of God, will put all right. He is beginning to read so as to understand, what he reads; and seems as in a new world. For knowledge he is like a hungry man. He is meek and docile as a child. Mr. Burk will bless the days he attended Day’s Hope. He baptized four last Sunday. I baptized two, three Sundays ago. Some are to be baptized at New Georgia as soon as I can attend to it. Mr. Britton is just the man for that place. He and Mr. Burke are the most worthy Baptist preachers in this country. They are pious, reading, honest, reliable men. Theirs is not a shining preaching talent, but a shining piety, sound good common sense. Brother White, at Junk, is doing more for the natives than any in the country, but has less talent than Burk or Britton. The little done for the heathen makes me sore. In conversation with missionaries the other day, I found that there is not a native school in all this country. All now being done, is that we get children in our Sunday schools, have a joint school in Kroo Town, and preaching to the natives just around Monrovia. Mr. White preaches to one little country town. Your school at Day’s Hope is increasingly interesting. There are thirteen young men and boys, six young women under my instruction four hours of the day, nine of that number attend the department taught by Mrs. Johnson in the afternoon. One of the teachers of little children has been very ill for two weeks, and although she has a substitute, half of her children do not attend. I think of putting boys and girls under one teacher next year.