Contents 
Front Matter The Name of My City My Own Name Why We Went to London Bound for America On Board Ship Unknown Country The End of the Voyage Going Ashore Our First Shelter A Tedious Task Our Cave Home Completed How We Kept House Savages Come to Town What the Savages Wore Game in Plenty Sea Food News of the Factor Arrival of the Amity Going to Meet the Factor A Tiresome Journey Meeting Old Friends Roasting Turkeys Turning an Honest Penny A Place for the City Building the City A Bear Hunt The New Home Penn's Care for Colonists The First Baby How the Indians Live Indian Utensils and Tools Canoes of Bark Making Wampum The Beehive Huts Finishing the Cure Starting a Fire Cooking Indian Corn News of Penn's Arrival Our Humble Preparations The Welcome to Penn A Day of Festivities Penn Joins in the Sports More Serious Business What a Bake Oven Is Baking in the New Oven Penn Plans to Buy Land Penn and the Indians The Price Paid for Land Gratitude of the Indians Trapping Wild Turkeys New Arrivals Government by the People The Promise of a School Dock Creek Bridge The Nail Business Buying Iron in New York No Merrymaking after Dark Busy Days Enoch Flower's School End of Our School Days Settlement of Germantown New Laws in Our Own Town A Division of Opinion A Matter of History Boundary Lines The Governor's Following A Proud Departure The Settlement of Chester Dining in State Anchored off New Castle An Uncomfortable Night A Dull Journey In Lord Baltimore's City A Splendid Home A Question of Duty Amy of Maryland The Shops of Maryland The Result of the Visit Philadelphia Progresses Penn Goes Back to London

Stephen of Philadelphia - James Otis




The Promise of a School

And that we are soon to have a school I know, because of Jethro's having heard William Penn himself say he counted to have one opened as soon as a building could be provided, and a teacher found for the same.

There was not a lad in the town who did not burn with impatience for the day to come when he could begin to add to his store of knowledge, as would be possible when we had a school in Philadelphia.

It must not be supposed that we were wholly ignorant so far as concerns book-learning, for we had received some instruction in England, and many had been taught by their parents since we came to this country.

My father obliged me to study not less than two hours each day, save when work of considerable importance was to be done, and Jethro had much the same task set him; but what we could learn in such manner was little as compared with that to be gained in a regular school, therefore you may understand how eagerly we looked forward to the fulfillment of William Penn's promise.