Some who were suspicious said, “Never heerd tell of white lady going to humble colo’d cabin to read the Bible. Look like it’s mighty queer.” These suspicions had to be overcome in various ways. Often, by attending the sick ones, the good will of the neighbors would be secured. One poor creature, who had not been washed in six months, and was almost dead, after I had bathed her and put on her clean clothes--furnished by the good Northern friends--thanked me and said, “Thank the Lord! when we get home to heaven, we will all have on clean clothes.” Her last days of suffering were thus made more comfortable. I went in often, as she loved to hear the Bible read, and singing. But a few weeks later, I went in one morning, and found her poor remains stretched out on a rough board, resting on two chairs. Thus she lay in state, in her winding-sheet. A plate, placed on her crossed hands, with its mute appeal for money to bury her, told how poor they were. One day a very black woman met me on the street and said, “How d’y’, Miss. You don’t know me; but I knows you, for you is the one what visits the sick; and I heard you read the Bible, and I wants ye to read it to me. We all loves ye, and we all says, ‘If any one is gwine right up to heaven, it is you.’” I often found the best way to reach the mother was through her children. By giving them little presents, they would become fond of me. Then the mother, who was proud of them, would say, “I wants my children to be better than me, but don’t know how to make them so. I whips them a heap, but they is bad all the time.” After convincing one mother that she was teaching her children to lie by her daily example, she said, “Sure enough! Never thought of that afore. I alus wondered why my children would lie so, ’cause I alus tells ’em not to. Now, Miss, you come often, and teach me; I needs it much as any one. How can we be expected to do better? No one we go with does any better; and in ole slave times, if master saw us with a book, he would ‘slap our jaws;’ so we cannot read to find out better.” Another said, “This is the first work I have seen that looked like really making our homes better.” Finding the mothers and daughters knew but little about sewing, an industrial school was started, where they met once a week, and were taught how to cut, fit and make garments. The material for this school was furnished by the good people of Romeo. A small sum was charged for each garment, when finished, and used to purchase more material. Also a small price was charged for a few of the more valuable garments sent in boxes, the persons gladly paying the small sum, which was used to procure medicine and other comforts for the sick ones. I also added something to this fund by giving lessons to some who were able and willing to pay for the instruction.