Advice Colomn-Mindy Jessop p.4

My dearest Eva,

It has been very hard without you lately. Although we do not live with each other I still think of you constantly. I remember that day we went riding together, and you asked me the one question that I cannot get out of my head; “Would you think you were well off, if there were not one creature in the world near you to love you?” I’ve asked myself that question every day since I last saw you. I really have tried to improve the way I treat my slaves, which are now my friends. I even tried talking my father into giving Dodo his freedom. My father though I had gone completely sambo or insane! My father has even told some of our neighbor friends and their sons have called me such nasty names that I wish not to repeat them. I have confidence in myself no more without your support. I have started attending our church and have found much comfort there. It is as almost I feel you sitting there right next to me. It brings me much joy. Eva I really do need you now more than ever. I feel as if I have completely failed you.

Yours sincerely,

Henrique your cousin.

Advice Column: Yi Tian Zhang 4th Period

To: Tom
From: St. Clare

Dear Tom,
I don't know what I should do anymore. Everyday is another day for me to suffer. Poor little Eva is gone and she is what I lived for. I worked for her, bought clothes for her, and fed her. I even kept my marriage with Marie together for her. And now Eva is gone, what am I supposed to do now? It's as if my purpose in life has died away. Please, help me. All I can do now is keep my promise to her. I will set you free Tom! You will be able to live a happy life with your wife and children. But please, come visit me once in a while. You are the only person left whom I can entrust my secrets and feelings to. Marie would never understand me the way you do. Lately, I feel weak and sick. My time may be near soon. Before then, I will remember my promise and set you free. You have a strong, willing heart and you will be able to do anything if you put your mind to it, so do me this one favor: after I give you your freedom, please don't go looking for trouble like trying to change the mind of a slave owner.

Your depressed Master,
Augustine St. Clare

Advice Column

By Janelle C.

To: Eva
From: Tom

Dear Eva,
How I miss your loving praise and adoration for everyone. Your glowing, angelic face in the window, waiting for me to come home. Just seeing you seemed to make the day brighter and the air sweeter. It seems like just yesterday we were sitting on the bench by the lake or picking flowers from the garden. Oh, how I miss those days! Your loving father has also passed on recently. But you two have moved on to the next life and left the rest of us here on this Earth. Missis has sold us slaves to different masters. I have gone to a cruel and unusual master who believes in extremely brutal treatment of his slaves. All the slaves here have grown up enduring this harsh treatment and they themselves became harsh. I have faltered many a time and wonder if it's worth it anymore. I know I should keep on believing, but sometimes my faith has wandered off to dead ends. One question has been circling my mind for quite some time now. How do I hope, dear Eva, when there is no hope?

Advice Column by Karli Maynes Pd.4

Dearest Prue,
So much have I wished to talk with you. You are gone now and I never got the chance. I feel like we were very much alike in all but one way. You never got the chance to change your life. Miss 'Feely is helpin' me to be good and will soon set me to freedom. There are just a few things that I really need some advice bout. For future reference I wanna know how you managed to be a good mother despite your previous challenges and the fact that your child wasn't voluntarily yours. Fortunately I am not even close to having children and I'm pretty sure I'll be free when I have my first. I am just surprised by the stories I have heard from my friends about the terrible ways your kids were separated from you. It is terrible that a human being would be bread for children to sell. The worst and I'm sure hardest one to get through was when your little baby you thought you would keep for longest was murdered(you could say) by the horrible missis that caused your little one to starve. You used the wrong way of lessening your pain but before the tragedy you still loved the baby even though he was a result of abuse. I am not sure if I could treat a baby the same and I need some advice.
Sincerely,
Topsy

Advice Column: Jillian Brinton 2nd Period

To: St. Clare
From: Marie

Dear Auguste,
Things have been absolutely dreadful since you left your home on Earth. I have been so sick and miserable. With headaches, and sores of all kind. I have been selling the slaves that you have bought to take care of all of the expenses that women must take of when their husbands die. Cousin Ophelia has taken Topsy from us too New England. Apparently she is doing much better. As well as can be expected from the black little devil. She has learned to read. Dear Husband I have tried to avoid this news. But with all of the selling that I have had to do, I have sold Tom. I do not know who he ended up with. I know that you had meant to give him his freedom. But he was worth the most money, and who doesn't want more of that correct dearest? Well I must be going now, I have a splitting life since your death.

With all love a sick woman can muster,
Love Marie

Advice Column-Carleigh Penrod Per. 2

By Carleigh Penrod

TO: Eva

FROM: St. Clare

My Dear Little Eva,

I'm lost and confused now that you have left me. I haven't been able to get my grief out, and tears just aren't enough. It seems as if my whole world is falling apart and I can't find the pieces. Your mother claims I never loved you when she sees my lack of tears, but I haven't the heart or the spirit to argue with her. Only I know that I really loved you more than she did. I'm lost, disheartened and having trouble carrying on. Please help me.

You left us too soon Eva. All of us are coping with your death in different ways, but we all feel it. Eva, what am I to do with you gone? I have no one to read to, nothing to enjoy, no one to laugh with. I never see a smile anymore, from anyone around the house. I have a hard time believing what you held close to your heart. Tom is trying to help me, but dear Eva, it's not the same. He's told me to pray, but I still doubt someone is listening. How can I carry on with you gone? It just doesn't seem possible. Eva, if you're up there, and he's up there, if there's really a heaven, help me to know. You believed in those things, and they helped you to not fear death. But I fear carrying on without you. My one pride and joy is gone, and I have no one to look forward anymore. If there is a heaven, and you are an angel, stand by me and help me. I know not what to do, and I am in desperate need of your help.

I love you dearly, my little angel, and I miss you too much. Help me cope with your death, and maybe then will I believe that such places like heaven and people like Jesus actually exist.

Your Loving Father,

Augustine St.Clare

Advice Column

By Lauren Finlinson (Who has A LOT to do tomorrow, and is going to actually do her homework early for once.)

TO: Eva St. Clare

FROM: Topsy

Dear Miss Eva,

Things have been going very well for me here in the North, and Miss Ophelia has been helping me along with my reading and writing. I do try very hard now to be a good girl, and I read my Bible each day now that I can, just as you always told me to. I can see that Ophelia tries to be kind too, because she has not beaten me in quite some time. She always speaks kind words to me now. We both miss you terribly.

As much as I try to be good, out here in New England, though Miss Ophelia assures me that I am as free as anybody, the other children still won't play with me and I hear the people using horrible words about me and Misses. I can't help it- it makes me want to be wicked all over again. Sometimes, both of us can't stop but say horrible words back to them. How were you always so kind to everyone? We both wish we could be like you.

Topsy