up from slavery-第12节

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r　of　breathing；　emphasis；　and　articulation。　Simply　to　be　able　to　talk　in　public　for　the　sake　of　talking　has　never　had　the　least　attraction　to　me。　In　fact；　I　consider　that　there　is　nothing　so　empty　and　unsatisfactory　as　mere　abstract　public　speaking；　but　from　my　early　childhood　I　have　had　a　desire　to　do　something　to　make　the　world　better；　and　then　to　be　able　to　speak　to　the　world　about　that　thing。

The　debating　societies　at　Hampton　were　a　constant　source　of　delight　to　me。　These　were　held　on　Saturday　evening；　and　during　my　whole　life　at　Hampton　I　do　not　recall　that　I　missed　a　single　meeting。　I　not　only　attended　the　weekly　debating　society；　but　was　instrumental　in　organizing　an　additional　society。　I　noticed　that　between　the　time　when　supper　was　over　and　the　time　to　begin　evening　study　there　were　about　twenty　minutes　which　the　young　men　usually　spent　in　idle　gossip。　About　twenty　of　us　formed　a　society　for　the　purpose　of　utilizing　this　time　in　debate　or　in　practice　in　public　speaking。　Few　persons　ever　derived　more　happiness　or　benefit　from　the　use　of　twenty　minutes　of　time　than　we　did　in　this　way。

At　the　end　of　my　second　year　at　Hampton；　by　the　help　of　some　money　sent　me　by　my　mother　and　brother　John；　supplemented　by　a　small　gift　from　one　of　the　teachers　at　Hampton；　I　was　enabled　to　return　to　my　home　in　Malden；　West　Virginia；　to　spend　my　vacation。　When　I　reached　home　I　found　that　the　salt…furnaces　were　not　running；　and　that　the　coal…mine　was　not　being　operated　on　account　of　the　miners　being　out　on　〃strike。〃　This　was　something　which；　it　seemed；　usually　occurred　whenever　the　men　got　two　or　three　months　ahead　in　their　savings。　During　the　strike；　of　course；　they　spent　all　that　they　had　saved；　and　would　often　return　to　work　in　debt　at　the　same　wages；　or　would　move　to　another　mine　at　considerable　expense。　In　either　case；　my　observations　convinced　me　that　the　miners　were　worse　off　at　the　end　of　the　strike。　Before　the　days　of　strikes　in　that　section　of　the　country；　I　knew　miners　who　had　considerable　money　in　the　bank；　but　as　soon　as　the　professional　labour　agitators　got　control；　the　savings　of　even　the　more　thrifty　ones　began　disappearing。

My　mother　and　the　other　members　of　my　family　were；　of　course；　much　rejoiced　to　see　me　and　to　note　the　improvement　that　I　had　made　during　my　two　years'　absence。　The　rejoicing　on　the　part　of　all　classes　of　the　coloured　people；　and　especially　the　older　ones；　over　my　return；　was　almost　pathetic。　I　had　to　pay　a　visit　to　each　family　and　take　a　meal　with　each；　and　at　each　place　tell　the　story　of　my　experiences　at　Hampton。　In　addition　to　this　I　had　to　speak　before　the　church　and　Sunday…school；　and　at　various　other　places。　The　thing　that　I　was　most　in　search　of；　though；　work；　I　could　not　find。　There　was　no　work　on　account　of　the　strike。　I　spent　nearly　the　whole　of　the　first　month　of　my　vacation　in　an　effort　to　find　something　to　do　by　which　I　could　earn　money　to　pay　my　way　back　to　Hampton　and　save　a　little　money　to　use　after　reaching　there。

Toward　the　end　of　the　first　month；　I　went　to　place　a　considerable　distance　from　my　home；　to　try　to　find　employment。　I　did　not　succeed；　and　it　was　night　before　I　got　started　on　my　return。　When　I　had　gotten　within　a　mile　or　so　of　my　home　I　was　so　completely　tired　out　that　I　could　not　walk　any　farther；　and　I　went　into　an　old；　abandoned　house　to　spend　the　remainder　of　the　night。　About　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　my　brother　John　found　me　asleep　in　this　house；　and　broke　to　me；　as　gently　as　he　could；　the　sad　news　that　our　dear　mother　had　died　during　the　night。

This　seemed　to　me　the　saddest　and　blankest　moment　in　my　life。　For　several　years　my　mother　had　not　been　in　good　health；　but　I　had　no　idea；　when　I　parted　from　her　the　previous　day；　that　I　should　never　see　her　alive　again。　Besides　that；　I　had　always　had　an　intense　desire　to　be　with　her　when　she　did　pass　away。　One　of　the　chief　ambitions　which　spurred　me　on　at　Hampton　was　that　I　might　be　able　to　get　to　be　in　a　position　in　which　I　could　better　make　my　mother　comfortable　and　happy。　She　had　so　often　expressed　the　wish　that　she　might　be　permitted　to　live　to　see　her　children　educated　and　started　out　in　the　world。

In　a　very　short　time　after　the　death　of　my　mother　our　little　home　was　in　confusion。　My　sister　Amanda；　although　she　tried　to　do　the　best　she　could；　was　too　young　to　know　anything　about　keeping　house；　and　my　stepfather　was　not　able　to　hire　a　housekeeper。　Sometimes　we　had　food　cooked　for　us；　and　sometimes　we　did　not。　I　remember　that　more　than　once　a　can　of　tomatoes　and　some　crackers　constituted　a　meal。　Our　clothing　went　uncared　for；　and　everything　about　our　home　was　soon　in　a　tumble…down　condition。　It　seems　to　me　that　this　was　the　most　dismal　period　of　my　life。

My　good　friend；　Mrs。　Ruffner；　to　whom　I　have　already　referred；　always　made　me　welcome　at　her　home；　and　assisted　me　in　many　ways　during　this　trying　period。　Before　the　end　of　the　vacation　she　gave　me　some　work；　and　this；　together　with　work　in　a　coal…mine　at　some　distance　from　my　home；　enabled　me　to　earn　a　little　money。

At　one　time　it　looked　as　if　I　would　have　to　give　up　the　idea　of　returning　to　Hampton；　but　my　heart　was　so　set　on　returning　that　I　determined　not　to　give　up　going　back　without　a　struggle。　I　was　very　anxious　to　secure　some　clothes　for　the　winter；　but　in　this　I　was　disappointed；　except　for　a　few　garments　which　my　brother　John　secured　for　me。　Notwithstanding　my　need　of　money　and　clothing；　I　was　very　happy　in　the　fact　that　I　had　secured　enough　money　to　pay　my　travelling　expenses　back　to　Hampton。　Once　there；　I　knew　that　I　could　make　myself　so　useful　as　a　janitor　that　I　could　in　some　way　get　through　the　school　year。

Three　weeks　before　the　time　for　the　opening　of　the　term　at　Hampton；　I　was　pleasantly　surprised　to　receive　a　letter　from　my　good　friend　Miss　Mary　F。　Mackie；　the　lady　principal；　asking　me　to　return　to　Hampton　two　weeks　before　the　opening　of　the　school；　in　order　that　I　might　assist　her　in　cleaning　the　buildings　and　getting　things　in　order　for　the　new　school　year。　This　was　just　the　opportunity　I　wanted。　It　gave　me　a　chance　to　secure　a　credit　in　the　treasurer's　office。　I　started　for　Hampton　at　once。

During　these　two　weeks　I　was　taught　a　lesson　which　I　shall　never　forget。　Miss　Mackie　was　a　member　of　one　of　the　oldest　and　most　cultured　families　of　the　North；　and　yet　for　two　weeks　she　worked　by　my　side　cleaning　windows；　dusting　rooms；　putting　beds　in　order；　and　what　not。　She　felt　that　things　would　not　be　in　condition　for　the　opening　of　school　unless　every　window…pane　was　perfectly　clean；　and　she　took　the　greatest　satisfaction　in　helping　to　clean　them　herself。　The　work　which　I　have　described　she　did　every　year　that　I　was　at　Hampton。

It　was　hard　for　me　at　this　time　to　understand　how　a　woman　of　her　education　and　social　standing　could　take　such　delight　in　performing　such　service；　in　order　to　assist　in　the　elevation　of　an　unfortunate　race。　Ever　since　then　I　have　had　no　patience　with　any　school　for　my　race　in　the　South　which　did　not　teach　its　students　the　dignity　of　labour。

During　my　last　year　at　Hampton　every　minute　of　my　time　that　was　not　occupied　with　my　duties　as　janitor　was　devoted　to　hard　study。　I　was　determined；　if　possible；　to　make　such　a　record　in　my　class　as　would　cause　me　to　be　placed　on　the　〃honour　roll〃　of　Commencement　speakers。　This　I　was　successful　in　doing。　It　was　June　of　1875　when　I　finished　the　regular　course　of　study　at　Hampton。　The　greatest　benefits　that　I　got　out　of　my　at　the　Hampton　Institute；　perhaps；　may　be　classified　under　two　heads：

First　was　contact　with　a　great　man；　General　S。C。　Armstrong；　who；　I　repeat；　was；　in　my　opinion；　the　rarest；　strongest；　and　most　beautiful　character　that　it　has　ever　been　my　privilege　to　meet。

Second；　at　Hampton；　for　the　first　time；　I　learned　what　education　was　expected　to　do　for　an　individual。　Before　going　there　I　had　a　good　deal　of　the　then　rather　prevalent　idea　among　our　people　that　to　secure　an　education　meant　to　have　a　good；　easy　time；　free　from　all　necessity　for　manual　labour。　At　Hampton　I　not　only　learned　that　it　was　not　a　disgrace　to　labour；　but　learned　to　love　labour；　not　alone　for　its　financial　value；　but　for　labour's　own　sake　and　for　the　independence　and　self…reliance　which　the　ability　to　do　something　which　the　world　wants　done　brings。　At　that　institution　I　got　my　first　taste　of　what　it　meant　to　live　a　life　of　unselfishness；　my　first　knowledge　of　the　fact　that　the　happiest　individuals　are　those　who　do　the　most　to　make　others　useful　and　happy。

I　was　completely　out　of　money　when　I　graduated。　In　company　with　our　other　Hampton　students；　I　secured　a　place　as　a　table　waiter　in　a　summer　hotel　in　Connecticut；　and　managed　to　borrow　enough　money　with　which　to　get　there。　I　had　not　been　in　this　hotel　long　before　I　found　out　that　I　knew　practically　nothing　about　waiting　on　a　hotel　table。　The　head　waiter；　however；　supposed　that　I　was　an　accomplished　waiter。　He　soon　gave　me　charge　of　the　table　at　which　their　sat　four　or　five　wealthy　and　rather　aristocratic　people。　My　ignorance　of　how　to　wait　upon　them　was　so　apparent　that　they　scolded　me　in　such　a　severe　manner　that　I　became　frightened　and　left　their　table；　leaving　them　sitting　there　without　food。　As　a　result　of　this　I　was　reduced　from　the　p