In a few days practically all the students and teachers had left for their homes, and this served to depress my spirits even more.
After trying for several days in and near the town of Hampton, I finally secured work in a restaurant at Fortress Monroe.

The wages, however, were very little more than my board.

At night, and between meals, I found considerable time for study and reading; and in this direction I improved myself very much during the summer.
When I left school at the end of my first year, I owed the institution sixteen dollars that I had not been able to work out.

It was my greatest ambition during the summer to save money enough with which to pay this debt.

I felt that this was a debt of honour, and that I could hardly bring myself to the point of even trying to enter school again till it was paid.