up from slavery-第13节

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t　their　table；　leaving　them　sitting　there　without　food。　As　a　result　of　this　I　was　reduced　from　the　position　of　waiter　to　that　of　a　dish…carrier。

But　I　determined　to　learn　the　business　of　waiting；　and　did　so　within　a　few　weeks　and　was　restored　to　my　former　position。　I　have　had　the　satisfaction　of　being　a　guest　in　this　hotel　several　times　since　I　was　a　waiter　there。

At　the　close　of　the　hotel　season　I　returned　to　my　former　home　in　Malden；　and　was　elected　to　teach　the　coloured　school　at　that　place。　This　was　the　beginning　of　one　of　the　happiest　periods　of　my　life。　I　now　felt　that　I　had　the　opportunity　to　help　the　people　of　my　home　town　to　a　higher　life。　I　felt　from　the　first　that　mere　book　education　was　not　all　that　the　young　people　of　that　town　needed。　I　began　my　work　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and；　as　a　rule；　it　did　not　end　until　ten　o'clock　at　night。　In　addition　to　the　usual　routine　of　teaching；　I　taught　the　pupils　to　comb　their　hair；　and　to　keep　their　hands　and　faces　clean；　as　well　as　their　clothing。　I　gave　special　attention　to　teaching　them　the　proper　use　of　the　tooth…brush　and　the　bath。　In　all　my　teaching　I　have　watched　carefully　the　influence　of　the　tooth…brush；　and　I　am　convinced　that　there　are　few　single　agencies　of　civilization　that　are　more　far…reaching。

There　were　so　many　of　the　older　boys　and　girls　in　the　town；　as　well　as　men　and　women；　who　had　to　work　in　the　daytime　and　still　were　craving　an　opportunity　for　an　education；　that　I　soon　opened　a　night…school。　From　the　first；　this　was　crowded　every　night；　being　about　as　large　as　the　school　that　I　taught　in　the　day。　The　efforts　of　some　of　the　men　and　women；　who　in　many　cases　were　over　fifty　years　of　age；　to　learn；　were　in　some　cases　very　pathetic。

My　day　and　night　school　work　was　not　all　that　I　undertook。　I　established　a　small　reading…room　and　a　debating　society。　On　Sundays　I　taught　two　Sunday…schools；　one　in　the　town　of　Malden　in　the　afternoon；　and　the　other　in　the　morning　at　a　place　three　miles　distant　from　Malden。　In　addition　to　this；　I　gave　private　lessons　to　several　young　men　whom　I　was　fitting　to　send　to　the　Hampton　Institute。　Without　regard　to　pay　and　with　little　thought　of　it；　I　taught　any　one　who　wanted　to　learn　anything　that　I　could　teach　him。　I　was　supremely　happy　in　the　opportunity　of　being　able　to　assist　somebody　else。　I　did　receive；　however；　a　small　salary　from　the　public　fund；　for　my　work　as　a　public…school　teacher。

During　the　time　that　I　was　a　student　at　Hampton　my　older　brother；　John；　not　only　assisted　me　all　that　he　could；　but　worked　all　of　the　time　in　the　coal…mines　in　order　to　support　the　family。　He　willingly　neglected　his　own　education　that　he　might　help　me。　It　was　my　earnest　wish　to　help　him　to　prepare　to　enter　Hampton；　and　to　save　money　to　assist　him　in　his　expenses　there。　Both　of　these　objects　I　was　successful　in　accomplishing。　In　three　years　my　brother　finished　the　course　at　Hampton；　and　he　is　now　holding　the　important　position　of　Superintendent　of　Industries　at　Tuskegee。　When　he　returned　from　Hampton；　we　both　combined　our　efforts　and　savings　to　send　our　adopted　brother；　James；　through　the　Hampton　Institute。　This　we　succeeded　in　doing；　and　he　is　now　the　postmaster　at　the　Tuskegee　Institute。　The　year　1877；　which　was　my　second　year　of　teaching　in　Malden；　I　spent　very　much　as　I　did　the　first。

It　was　while　my　home　was　at　Malden　that　what　was　known　as　the　〃Ku　Klux　Klan〃　was　in　the　height　of　its　activity。　The　〃Ku　Klux〃　were　bands　of　men　who　had　joined　themselves　together　for　the　purpose　of　regulating　the　conduct　of　the　coloured　people；　especially　with　the　object　of　preventing　the　members　of　the　race　from　exercising　any　influence　in　politics。　They　corresponded　somewhat　to　the　〃patrollers〃　of　whom　I　used　to　hear　a　great　deal　during　the　days　of　slavery；　when　I　was　a　small　boy。　The　〃patrollers〃　were　bands　of　white　menusually　young　menwho　were　organized　largely　for　the　purpose　of　regulating　the　conduct　of　the　slaves　at　night　in　such　matters　as　preventing　the　slaves　from　going　from　one　plantation　to　another　without　passes；　and　for　preventing　them　from　holding　any　kind　of　meetings　without　permission　and　without　the　presence　at　these　meetings　of　at　least　one　white　man。

Like　the　〃patrollers〃　the　〃Ku　Klux〃　operated　almost　wholly　at　night。　They　were；　however；　more　cruel　than　the　〃patrollers。〃　Their　objects；　in　the　main；　were　to　crush　out　the　political　aspirations　of　the　Negroes；　but　they　did　not　confine　themselves　to　this；　because　schoolhouses　as　well　as　churches　were　burned　by　them；　and　many　innocent　persons　were　made　to　suffer。　During　this　period　not　a　few　coloured　people　lost　their　lives。

As　a　young　man；　the　acts　of　these　lawless　bands　made　a　great　impression　upon　me。　I　saw　one　open　battle　take　place　at　Malden　between　some　of　the　coloured　and　white　people。　There　must　have　been　not　far　from　a　hundred　persons　engaged　on　each　side；　many　on　both　sides　were　seriously　injured；　among　them　General　Lewis　Ruffner；　the　husband　of　my　friend　Mrs。　Viola　Ruffner。　General　Ruffner　tried　to　defend　the　coloured　people；　and　for　this　he　was　knocked　down　and　so　seriously　wounded　that　he　never　completely　recovered。　It　seemed　to　me　as　I　watched　this　struggle　between　members　of　the　two　races；　that　there　was　no　hope　for　our　people　in　this　country。　The　〃Ku　Klux〃　period　was；　I　think；　the　darkest　part　of　the　Reconstruction　days。

I　have　referred　to　this　unpleasant　part　of　the　history　of　the　South　simply　for　the　purpose　of　calling　attention　to　the　great　change　that　has　taken　place　since　the　days　of　the　〃Ku　Klux。〃　To…day　there　are　no　such　organizations　in　the　South；　and　the　fact　that　such　ever　existed　is　almost　forgotten　by　both　races。　There　are　few　places　in　the　South　now　where　public　sentiment　would　permit　such　organizations　to　exist。



Chapter　V。　The　Reconstruction　Period

The　years　from　1867　to　1878　I　think　may　be　called　the　period　of　Reconstruction。　This　included　the　time　that　I　spent　as　a　student　at　Hampton　and　as　a　teacher　in　West　Virginia。　During　the　whole　of　the　Reconstruction　period　two　ideas　were　constantly　agitating　in　the　minds　of　the　coloured　people；　or；　at　least；　in　the　minds　of　a　large　part　of　the　race。　One　of　these　was　the　craze　for　Greek　and　Latin　learning；　and　the　other　was　a　desire　to　hold　office。

It　could　not　have　been　expected　that　a　people　who　had　spent　generations　in　slavery；　and　before　that　generations　in　the　darkest　heathenism；　could　at　first　form　any　proper　conception　of　what　an　education　meant。　In　every　part　of　the　South；　during　the　Reconstruction　period；　schools；　both　day　and　night；　were　filled　to　overflowing　with　people　of　all　ages　and　conditions；　some　being　as　far　along　in　age　as　sixty　and　seventy　years。　The　ambition　to　secure　an　education　was　most　praiseworthy　and　encouraging。　The　idea；　however；　was　too　prevalent　that；　as　soon　as　one　secured　a　little　education；　in　some　unexplainable　way　he　would　be　free　from　most　of　the　hardships　of　the　world；　and；　at　any　rate；　could　live　without　manual　labour。　There　was　a　further　feeling　that　a　knowledge；　however　little；　of　the　Greek　and　Latin　languages　would　make　one　a　very　superior　human　being；　something　bordering　almost　on　the　supernatural。　I　remember　that　the　first　coloured　man　whom　I　saw　who　knew　something　about　foreign　languages　impressed　me　at　the　time　as　being　a　man　of　all　others　to　be　envied。

Naturally；　most　of　our　people　who　received　some　little　education　became　teachers　or　preachers。　While　among　those　two　classes　there　were　many　capable；　earnest；　godly　men　and　women；　still　a　large　proportion　took　up　teaching　or　preaching　as　an　easy　way　to　make　a　living。　Many　became　teachers　who　could　do　little　more　than　write　their　names。　I　remember　there　came　into　our　neighbourhood　one　of　this　class；　who　was　in　search　of　a　school　to　teach；　and　the　question　arose　while　he　was　there　as　to　the　shape　of　the　earth　and　how　he　could　teach　the　children　concerning　the　subject。　He　explained　his　position　in　the　matter　by　saying　that　he　was　prepared　to　teach　that　the　earth　was　either　flat　or　round；　according　to　the　preference　of　a　majority　of　his　patrons。

The　ministry　was　the　profession　that　suffered　mostand　still　suffers；　though　there　has　been　great　improvementon　account　of　not　only　ignorant　but　in　many　cases　immoral　men　who　claimed　that　they　were　〃called　to　preach。〃　In　the　earlier　days　of　freedom　almost　every　coloured　man　who　learned　to　read　would　receive　〃a　call　to　preach〃　within　a　few　days　after　he　began　reading。　At　my　home　in　West　Virginia　the　process　of　being　called　to　the　ministry　was　a　very　interesting　one。　Usually　the　〃call〃　came　when　the　individual　was　sitting　in　church。　Without　warning　the　one　called　would　fall　upon　the　floor　as　if　struck　by　a　bullet；　and　would　lie　there　for　hours；　speechless　and　motionless。　Then　the　news　would　spread　all　through　the　neighborhood　that　this　individual　had　received　a　〃call。〃　If　he　were　inclined　to　resist　the　summons；　he　would　fall　or　be　made　to　fall　a　second　or　third　time。　In　the　end　he　always　yielded　to　the　call。　While　I　wanted　an　education　badly；　I　confess　that　in　my　youth　I　had　a　fear　that　when　I　had　learned　to　read　and　write　very　well　I　would　receive　one　of　these　〃calls〃；　but；　for　some　reason；　my　call　never　came。

When　we　add　the　number　of　wholly　ignorant　men　w