Since writing letters was an art much used and cultivated in the Colonial Period, and writing was greatly emphasized in the schools, it may be of interest to insert a letter written by a school boy in 1735. The letter is written in a fairly regular boyish hand, and is probably the production of a youngster about 12 years of age. Nov. 21, 1735. Dear Uncle, I think in duty, I ought to wait on you with my first letter, which I hope will plead excuse for all faults. I remember what you told me, and write or go to school every day—I am much obliged to you for your kind present of tickets, and hope I shall have good success.—Pray give my duty to Uncle and Aunt Penn and all my Cousins. My love to Mr. Philaps, Mr. Jervice and Farmer Dill. With all my Friends.—So conclude. Dear Uncle Your Affct. Nep. THOMAS FREAME.[884] Phil. d. Novbr. 21, 1735. [Sidenote: Curriculum of later dates] [Sidenote: Spelling] [Sidenote: Quaker school curricula compared with others] At later dates than those above mentioned the records of the overseers, reports made in the monthly meetings of Philadelphia, Horsham School Minutes, Darby, and others, indicate that the curriculum consisted of reading, English, writing, arithmetic, branches of the mathematics, sewing, spelling, needlework, and other things suitable for girls.[885] The only one which is mentioned at this latter date, and not at the former, is spelling. This of course does not mean, necessarily, that spelling had just been introduced. In 1756 the visiting committee reported that spelling books and Bibles were needed in the schools for the poor children,[886] and since Benezet’s spelling book came to a second edition in 1779,[887] and Fox’s _Instructions for Right Spelling_ was published in Philadelphia in 1702,[888] we may be certain that spelling as a regular study began at a very early date. If we compare this curriculum with those mentioned by private tutors at the same time, we find them essentially the same. There was, however, frequent mention of such subjects as navigation, calk guaging, mensuration, bookkeeping,[889] surveying,[890] dialling,[891] astronomy, and fortification,[892] which are not mentioned definitely in the curriculum of the Friends’ schools. It is quite probable that those above, dealing with higher mathematics, were included in the higher mathematics taught in the Classical School. But one cannot imagine that “fortification” was granted a place. Those studies of the mathematics may be mentioned again in studying the curriculum of the Latin School. [Sidenote: Studies pursued in the Negro School]