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we need fear nothing.

Mrs Stanford may I write you
freely, in regard to a matter, which is very
near my heart. For years I have been doing
all I could to devise a plan, by which I could
educate a young boy of 16, who is growing up in
a small village in Texas, with no educational
advantages save a country school. The whole history
of the family is a sad one. His father is a man who
might have made a brilliant career for himself,
for he is most talented. The war ended when he
was only fourteen years old, leaving him an
orphan, with neither father or mother. His fathers
wealth had consisted in large landed estates
& many hundreds of negroes. These of course
were no more, so the lad found himself
obliged to make his own way in the world.
Like many he went to Texas, & at a young
age married a good substantial Texas girl, but
he is not of a hopeful disposition, & is not fitted
for business. He has a good size family, & finds
it impossible to give them educational advantages.
I would work my fingers sore if I could only
give this man's son a chance to reclaim his
position in life, by a good education. The
boy is ambitious, & has done well so far, but
he needs better training than a common
village school can give. I am not able to
do more than pray that in some way he
may get what he so much desires. I am