up from slavery-第16节

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of　me。

On　going　to　Hampton；　I　took　up　my　residence　in　a　building　with　about　seventy…five　Indian　youths。　I　was　the　only　person　in　the　building　who　was　not　a　member　of　their　race。　At　first　I　had　a　good　deal　of　doubt　about　my　ability　to　succeed。　I　knew　that　the　average　Indian　felt　himself　above　the　white　man；　and；　of　course；　he　felt　himself　far　above　the　Negro；　largely　on　account　of　the　fact　of　the　Negro　having　submitted　to　slaverya　thing　which　the　Indian　would　never　do。　The　Indians；　in　the　Indian　Territory；　owned　a　large　number　of　slaves　during　the　days　of　slavery。　Aside　from　this；　there　was　a　general　feeling　that　the　attempt　to　education　and　civilize　the　red　men　at　Hampton　would　be　a　failure。　All　this　made　me　proceed　very　cautiously；　for　I　felt　keenly　the　great　responsibility。　But　I　was　determined　to　succeed。　It　was　not　long　before　I　had　the　complete　confidence　of　the　Indians；　and　not　only　this；　but　I　think　I　am　safe　in　saying　that　I　had　their　love　and　respect。　I　found　that　they　were　about　like　any　other　human　beings；　that　they　responded　to　kind　treatment　and　resented　ill…treatment。　They　were　continually　planning　to　do　something　that　would　add　to　my　happiness　and　comfort。　The　things　that　they　disliked　most；　I　think；　were　to　have　their　long　hair　cut；　to　give　up　wearing　their　blankets；　and　to　cease　smoking；　but　no　white　American　ever　thinks　that　any　other　race　is　wholly　civilized　until　he　wears　the　white　man's　clothes；　eats　the　white　man's　food；　speaks　the　white　man's　language；　and　professes　the　white　man's　religion。

When　the　difficulty　of　learning　the　English　language　was　subtracted；　I　found　that　in　the　matter　of　learning　trades　and　in　mastering　academic　studies　there　was　little　difference　between　the　coloured　and　Indian　students。　It　was　a　constant　delight　to　me　to　note　the　interest　which　the　coloured　students　took　in　trying　to　help　the　Indians　in　every　way　possible。　There　were　a　few　of　the　coloured　students　who　felt　that　the　Indians　ought　not　to　be　admitted　to　Hampton；　but　these　were　in　the　minority。　Whenever　they　were　asked　to　do　so；　the　Negro　students　gladly　took　the　Indians　as　room…mates；　in　order　that　they　might　teach　them　to　speak　English　and　to　acquire　civilized　habits。

I　have　often　wondered　if　there　was　a　white　institution　in　this　country　whose　students　would　have　welcomed　the　incoming　of　more　than　a　hundred　companions　of　another　race　in　the　cordial　way　that　these　black　students　at　Hampton　welcomed　the　red　ones。　How　often　I　have　wanted　to　say　to　white　students　that　they　lift　themselves　up　in　proportion　as　they　help　to　lift　others；　and　the　more　unfortunate　the　race；　and　the　lower　in　the　scale　of　civilization；　the　more　does　one　raise　one's　self　by　giving　the　assistance。

This　reminds　me　of　a　conversation　which　I　once　had　with　the　Hon。　Frederick　Douglass。　At　one　time　Mr。　Douglass　was　travelling　in　the　state　of　Pennsylvania；　and　was　forced；　on　account　of　his　colour；　to　ride　in　the　baggage…car；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　he　had　paid　the　same　price　for　his　passage　that　the　other　passengers　had　paid。　When　some　of　the　white　passengers　went　into　the　baggage…car　to　console　Mr。　Douglass；　and　one　of　them　said　to　him：　〃I　am　sorry；　Mr。　Douglass；　that　you　have　been　degraded　in　this　manner；〃　Mr。　Douglass　straightened　himself　up　on　the　box　upon　which　he　was　sitting；　and　replied：　〃They　cannot　degrade　Frederick　Douglass。　The　soul　that　is　within　me　no　man　can　degrade。　I　am　not　the　one　that　is　being　degraded　on　account　of　this　treatment；　but　those　who　are　inflicting　it　upon　me。〃

In　one　part　of　the　country；　where　the　law　demands　the　separation　of　the　races　on　the　railroad　trains；　I　saw　at　one　time　a　rather　amusing　instance　which　showed　how　difficult　it　sometimes　is　to　know　where　the　black　begins　and　the　white　ends。

There　was　a　man　who　was　well　known　in　his　community　as　a　Negro；　but　who　was　so　white　that　even　an　expert　would　have　hard　work　to　classify　him　as　a　black　man。　This　man　was　riding　in　the　part　of　the　train　set　aside　for　the　coloured　passengers。　When　the　train　conductor　reached　him；　he　showed　at　once　that　he　was　perplexed。　If　the　man　was　a　Negro；　the　conductor　did　not　want　to　send　him　to　the　white　people's　coach；　at　the　same　time；　if　he　was　a　white　man；　the　conductor　did　not　want　to　insult　him　by　asking　him　if　he　was　a　Negro。　The　official　looked　him　over　carefully；　examining　his　hair；　eyes；　nose；　and　hands；　but　still　seemed　puzzled。　Finally；　to　solve　the　difficulty；　he　stooped　over　and　peeped　at　the　man's　feet。　When　I　saw　the　conductor　examining　the　feet　of　the　man　in　question；　I　said　to　myself；　〃That　will　settle　it；〃　and　so　it　did；　for　the　trainman　promptly　decided　that　the　passenger　was　a　Negro；　and　let　him　remain　where　he　was。　I　congratulated　myself　that　my　race　was　fortunate　in　not　losing　one　of　its　members。

My　experience　has　been　that　the　time　to　test　a　true　gentleman　is　to　observe　him　when　he　is　in　contact　with　individuals　of　a　race　that　is　less　fortunate　than　his　own。　This　is　illustrated　in　no　better　way　than　by　observing　the　conduct　of　the　old…school　type　of　Southern　gentleman　when　he　is　in　contact　with　his　former　salves　or　their　descendants。

An　example　of　what　I　mean　is　shown　in　a　story　told　of　George　Washington；　who；　meeting　a　coloured　man　in　the　road　once；　who　politely　lifted　his　hat；　lifted　his　own　in　return。　Some　of　his　white　friends　who　saw　the　incident　criticised　Washington　for　his　action。　In　reply　to　their　criticism　George　Washington　said：　〃Do　you　suppose　that　I　am　going　to　permit　a　poor；　ignorant；　coloured　man　to　be　more　polite　than　I　am？〃

While　I　was　in　charge　of　the　Indian　boys　at　Hampton；　I　had　one　or　two　experiences　which　illustrate　the　curious　workings　of　caste　in　America。　One　of　the　Indian　boys　was　taken　ill；　and　it　became　my　duty　to　take　him　to　Washington；　deliver　him　over　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　and　get　a　receipt　for　him；　in　order　that　he　might　be　returned　to　his　Western　reservation。　At　that　time　I　was　rather　ignorant　of　the　ways　of　the　world。　During　my　journey　to　Washington；　on　a　steamboat；　when　the　bell　rang　for　dinner；　I　was　careful　to　wait　and　not　enter　the　dining　room　until　after　the　greater　part　of　the　passengers　had　finished　their　meal。　Then；　with　my　charge；　I　went　to　the　dining　saloon。　The　man　in　charge　politely　informed　me　that　the　Indian　could　be　served；　but　that　I　could　not。　I　never　could　understand　how　he　knew　just　where　to　draw　the　colour　line；　since　the　Indian　and　I　were　of　about　the　same　complexion。　The　steward；　however；　seemed　to　be　an　expert　in　this　manner。　I　had　been　directed　by　the　authorities　at　Hampton　to　stop　at　a　certain　hotel　in　Washington　with　my　charge；　but　when　I　went　to　this　hotel　the　clerk　stated　that　he　would　be　glad　to　receive　the　Indian　into　the　house；　but　said　that　he　could　not　accommodate　me。

An　illustration　of　something　of　this　same　feeling　came　under　my　observation　afterward。　I　happened　to　find　myself　in　a　town　in　which　so　much　excitement　and　indignation　were　being　expressed　that　it　seemed　likely　for　a　time　that　there　would　be　a　lynching。　The　occasion　of　the　trouble　was　that　a　dark…skinned　man　had　stopped　at　the　local　hotel。　Investigation；　however；　developed　the　fact　that　this　individual　was　a　citizen　of　Morocco；　and　that　while　travelling　in　this　country　he　spoke　the　English　language。　As　soon　as　it　was　learned　that　he　was　not　an　American　Negro；　all　the　signs　of　indignation　disappeared。　The　man　who　was　the　innocent　cause　of　the　excitement；　though；　found　it　prudent　after　that　not　to　speak　English。

At　the　end　of　my　first　year　with　the　Indians　there　came　another　opening　for　me　at　Hampton；　which；　as　I　look　back　over　my　life　now；　seems　to　have　come　providentially；　to　help　to　prepare　me　for　my　work　at　Tuskegee　later。　General　Armstrong　had　found　out　that　there　was　quite　a　number　of　young　coloured　men　and　women　who　were　intensely　in　earnest　in　wishing　to　get　an　education；　but　who　were　prevented　from　entering　Hampton　Institute　because　they　were　too　poor　to　be　able　to　pay　any　portion　of　the　cost　of　their　board；　or　even　to　supply　themselves　with　books。　He　conceived　the　idea　of　starting　a　night…school　in　connection　with　the　Institute；　into　which　a　limited　number　of　the　most　promising　of　these　young　men　and　women　would　be　received；　on　condition　that　they　were　to　work　for　ten　hours　during　the　day；　and　attend　school　for　two　hours　at　night。　They　were　to　be　paid　something　above　the　cost　of　their　board　for　their　work。　The　greater　part　of　their　earnings　was　to　be　reserved　in　the　school's　treasury　as　a　fund　to　be　drawn　on　to　pay　their　board　when　they　had　become　students　in　the　day…school；　after　they　had　spent　one　or　two　years　in　the　night…school。　In　this　way　they　would　obtain　a　start　in　their　books　and　a　knowledge　of　some　trade　or　industry；　in　addition　to　the　other　far…reaching　benefits　of　the　institution。

General　Armstrong　asked　me　to　take　charge　of　the　night…school；　and　I　did　so。　At　the　beginning　of　this　school　there　were　about　twelve　strong；　earnest　men　and　women　who　entered　the　class。　During　the　day　the　greater　part　of　the　young　men　worked　in　the　school's　sawmill；　and　the　young　men　worked　in　the　laundry。　The　work　was　not　easy　in　either　place；　but　in　all　my　teaching　I　never　taught　pupils　who　gave　me　much　genuine　satisfaction　as　these　did。　They　were　good　students