‚ÄúNow, what do you know,‚Äù she asked finally, ‚Äúabout Negroes‚ÅÝ‚Äîabout educating them?‚Äù Mr. ¬ÝTaylor over his fish was about to deny all knowledge of any sort on the subject, but all at once he recollected his sister, and a sudden gleam of light radiated his mental gloom.
‚ÄúHave a sister who is‚ÅÝ‚Äîer‚ÅÝ‚Äîdevoting herself to teaching them,‚Äù he said.
‚ÄúIs that so!‚Äù cried Mrs. ¬ÝGrey, joyfully. ‚ÄúWhere is she?‚Äù
‚ÄúIn Tooms County, Alabama‚ÅÝ‚Äîin‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù Mr. ¬ÝTaylor consulted a remote mental pocket‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äúin Miss Sara Smith‚Äôs school.‚Äù
“Why, how fortunate! I’m so glad I mentioned the matter. You see, Miss Smith is a sister of a friend of ours, Congressman Smith of New Jersey, and she has just written to me for help; a very touching letter, too, about the poor blacks. My father set great store by blacks and was a leading abolitionist before he died.”
Mr. ¬ÝTaylor was thinking fast. Yes, the name of Congressman Peter Smith was quite familiar. Mr. ¬ÝEasterly, as chairman of the Republican State Committee of New Jersey, had been compelled to discipline Mr. ¬ÝSmith pretty severely for certain socialistic votes in the House, and consequently his future career was uncertain. It was important that such a man should not have too much to do with Mrs. ¬ÝGrey‚Äôs philanthropies‚ÅÝ‚Äîat least, in his present position.
‚ÄúShould like to have you meet and talk with my sister, Mrs. ¬ÝGrey; she‚Äôs a Wellesley graduate,‚Äù said Taylor, finally.
Mrs. ¬ÝGrey was delighted. It was a combination which she felt she needed. Here was a college-girl who could direct her philanthropies and her etiquette during the summer.