Times That Try Men's Souls

I'm three-quarters through Charcoal and Chalk and fascinated with the amount of information that the author's great-grandfather left for future generations. I've learned so much about the man, John Ogilvie Stevenson, and the challenges, successes, and turmoils that he endured as teacher of the freedmen in Texas. As one can well imagine, just communicating with his employers to remind them to send his paycheck, was one of his minor challenges. Not to mention the racism that he encountered along the way. It truly is a miracle that he survived! He was also a preacher and ministered to the folks that were his students. That is what kept him determined not to give up the challenge. Wish I had learned about his work lots earlier in my teaching career. I would have been considerably more grateful that I didn't have to walk to school in the swamps with the possibility of a Ku Klux Klanner waiting to accost me!