Would you like to go to school again ?" "Oh, yes!" answered Clarence, his face lighting up with pleasure; "I should like it of all things; it would be much better than staying at home all day, doing nothing; the days are so long," concluded he, with a sigh.
"Ah! we will soon remedy that," rejoined Mr.Balch, "when you go to Sudbury." "Sudbury!" repeated Clarence, with surprise; "where is that?
I thought you meant, to go to school here." "Oh, no, my dear," said Mr.Balch, "I don't know of any good school here, such as you would like; we wish to send you to a place where you will enjoy yourself finely,--where you will have a number of boys for companions in your studies and pleasures." "And is Em going with me ?" he asked.
"Oh, no, that is not possible; it is a school for boys exclusively; you can't take your sister there," rejoined Mr.Walters.
"Then I don't want to go," said Clarence, decidedly; "I don't want to go where I can't take Em with me." Mr.Balch exchanged glances with Mr.Walters, and looked quite perplexed at this new opposition to his scheme.

Nothing daunted, however, by this difficulty, he, by dint of much talking and persuasion, brought Clarence to look upon the plan with favour, and to consent reluctantly to go without his sister.
But the most delicate part of the whole business was yet to come--they must impress upon the child the necessity of concealing the fact that he was of African origin.

Neither seemed to know how to approach the subject.
Clarence, however, involuntarily made an opening for them by inquiring if Emily was to go to Miss Jordan's school again.
"No, my dear," answered Mr.Balch, "Miss Jordan won't permit her to attend school there." "Why ?" asked Clarence.
"Because she is a coloured child," rejoined Mr.Balch.

"Now, Clarence," he continued, "you are old enough, I presume, to know the difference that exists between the privileges and advantages enjoyed by the whites, and those that are at the command of the coloured people.

White boys can go to better schools, and they can enter college and become professional men, lawyers, doctors, &c, or they may be merchants--in fact, they can be anything they please.