up from slavery-第18节

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these　visits；　there　had　been　no　notice　given　in　advance　that　a　stranger　was　expected；　I　had　the　advantage　of　seeing　the　real；　everyday　life　of　the　people。

In　the　plantation　districts　I　found　that；　as　a　rule；　the　whole　family　slept　in　one　room；　and　that　in　addition　to　the　immediate　family　there　sometimes　were　relatives；　or　others　not　related　to　the　family；　who　slept　in　the　same　room。　On　more　than　one　occasion　I　went　outside　the　house　to　get　ready　for　bed；　or　to　wait　until　the　family　had　gone　to　bed。　They　usually　contrived　some　kind　of　a　place　for　me　to　sleep；　either　on　the　floor　or　in　a　special　part　of　another's　bed。　Rarely　was　there　any　place　provided　in　the　cabin　where　one　could　bathe　even　the　face　and　hands；　but　usually　some　provision　was　made　for　this　outside　the　house；　in　the　yard。

The　common　diet　of　the　people　was　fat　pork　and　corn　bread。　At　times　I　have　eaten　in　cabins　where　they　had　only　corn　bread　and　〃black…eye　peas〃　cooked　in　plain　water。　The　people　seemed　to　have　no　other　idea　than　to　live　on　this　fat　meat　and　corn　bread；the　meat；　and　the　meal　of　which　the　bread　was　made；　having　been　bought　at　a　high　price　at　a　store　in　town；　notwithstanding　the　face　that　the　land　all　about　the　cabin　homes　could　easily　have　been　made　to　produce　nearly　every　kind　of　garden　vegetable　that　is　raised　anywhere　in　the　country。　Their　one　object　seemed　to　be　to　plant　nothing　but　cotton；　and　in　many　cases　cotton　was　planted　up　to　the　very　door　of　the　cabin。

In　these　cabin　homes　I　often　found　sewing…machines　which　had　been　bought；　or　were　being　bought；　on　instalments；　frequently　at　a　cost　of　as　much　as　sixty　dollars；　or　showy　clocks　for　which　the　occupants　of　the　cabins　had　paid　twelve　or　fourteen　dollars。　I　remember　that　on　one　occasion　when　I　went　into　one　of　these　cabins　for　dinner；　when　I　sat　down　to　the　table　for　a　meal　with　the　four　members　of　the　family；　I　noticed　that；　while　there　were　five　of　us　at　the　table；　there　was　but　one　fork　for　the　five　of　us　to　use。　Naturally　there　was　an　awkward　pause　on　my　part。　In　the　opposite　corner　of　that　same　cabin　was　an　organ　for　which　the　people　told　me　they　were　paying　sixty　dollars　in　monthly　instalments。　One　fork；　and　a　sixty…dollar　organ！

In　most　cases　the　sewing…machine　was　not　used；　the　clocks　were　so　worthless　that　they　did　not　keep　correct　timeand　if　they　had；　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　there　would　have　been　no　one　in　the　family　who　could　have　told　the　time　of　daywhile　the　organ；　of　course；　was　rarely　used　for　want　of　a　person　who　could　play　upon　it。

In　the　case　to　which　I　have　referred；　where　the　family　sat　down　to　the　table　for　the　meal　at　which　I　was　their　guest；　I　could　see　plainly　that　this　was　an　awkward　and　unusual　proceeding；　and　was　done　in　my　honour。　In　most　cases；　when　the　family　got　up　in　the　morning；　for　example；　the　wife　would　put　a　piece　of　meat　in　a　frying…pan　and　put　a　lump　of　dough　in　a　〃skillet；〃　as　they　called　it。　These　utensils　would　be　placed　on　the　fire；　and　in　ten　or　fifteen　minutes　breakfast　would　be　ready。　Frequently　the　husband　would　take　his　bread　and　meat　in　his　hand　and　start　for　the　field；　eating　as　he　walked。　The　mother　would　sit　down　in　a　corner　and　eat　her　breakfast；　perhaps　from　a　plate　and　perhaps　directly　from　the　〃skillet〃　or　frying…pan；　while　the　children　would　eat　their　portion　of　the　bread　and　meat　while　running　about　the　yard。　At　certain　seasons　of　the　year；　when　meat　was　scarce；　it　was　rarely　that　the　children　who　were　not　old　enough　or　strong　enough　to　work　in　the　fields　would　have　the　luxury　of　meat。

The　breakfast　over；　and　with　practically　no　attention　given　to　the　house；　the　whole　family　would；　as　a　general　thing；　proceed　to　the　cotton…field。　Every　child　that　was　large　enough　to　carry　a　hoe　was　put　to　work；　and　the　babyfor　usually　there　was　at　least　one　babywould　be　laid　down　at　the　end　of　the　cotton　row；　so　that　its　mother　could　give　it　a　certain　amount　of　attention　when　she　had　finished　chopping　her　row。　The　noon　meal　and　the　supper　were　taken　in　much　the　same　way　as　the　breakfast。

All　the　days　of　the　family　would　be　spent　after　much　this　same　routine；　except　Saturday　and　Sunday。　On　Saturday　the　whole　family　would　spent　at　least　half　a　day；　and　often　a　whole　day；　in　town。　The　idea　in　going　to　town　was；　I　suppose；　to　do　shopping；　but　all　the　shopping　that　the　whole　family　had　money　for　could　have　been　attended　to　in　ten　minutes　by　one　person。　Still；　the　whole　family　remained　in　town　for　most　of　the　day；　spending　the　greater　part　of　the　time　in　standing　on　the　streets；　the　women；　too　often；　sitting　about　somewhere　smoking　or　dipping　snuff。　Sunday　was　usually　spent　in　going　to　some　big　meeting。　With　few　exceptions；　I　found　that　the　crops　were　mortgaged　in　the　counties　where　I　went；　and　that　the　most　of　the　coloured　farmers　were　in　debt。　The　state　had　not　been　able　to　build　schoolhouses　in　the　country　districts；　and；　as　a　rule；　the　schools　were　taught　in　churches　or　in　log　cabins。　More　than　once；　while　on　my　journeys；　I　found　that　there　was　no　provision　made　in　the　house　used　for　school　purposes　for　heating　the　building　during　the　winter；　and　consequently　a　fire　had　to　be　built　in　the　yard；　and　teacher　and　pupils　passed　in　and　out　of　the　house　as　they　got　cold　or　warm。　With　few　exceptions；　I　found　the　teachers　in　these　country　schools　to　be　miserably　poor　in　preparation　for　their　work；　and　poor　in　moral　character。　The　schools　were　in　session　from　three　to　five　months。　There　was　practically　no　apparatus　in　the　schoolhouses；　except　that　occasionally　there　was　a　rough　blackboard。　I　recall　that　one　day　I　went　into　a　schoolhouseor　rather　into　an　abandoned　log　cabin　that　was　being　used　as　a　schoolhouseand　found　five　pupils　who　were　studying　a　lesson　from　one　book。　Two　of　these；　on　the　front　seat；　were　using　the　book　between　them；　behind　these　were　two　others　peeping　over　the　shoulders　of　the　first　two；　and　behind　the　four　was　a　fifth　little　fellow　who　was　peeping　over　the　shoulders　of　all　four。

What　I　have　said　concerning　the　character　of　the　schoolhouses　and　teachers　will　also　apply　quite　accurately　as　a　description　of　the　church　buildings　and　the　ministers。

I　met　some　very　interesting　characters　during　my　travels。　As　illustrating　the　peculiar　mental　processes　of　the　country　people；　I　remember　that　I　asked　one　coloured　man；　who　was　about　sixty　years　old；　to　tell　me　something　of　his　history。　He　said　that　he　had　been　born　in　Virginia；　and　sold　into　Alabama　in　1845。　I　asked　him　how　many　were　sold　at　the　same　time。　He　said；　〃There　were　five　of　us；　myself　and　brother　and　three　mules。〃

In　giving　all　these　descriptions　of　what　I　saw　during　my　mouth　of　travel　in　the　country　around　Tuskegee；　I　wish　my　readers　to　keep　in　mind　the　fact　that　there　were　many　encouraging　exceptions　to　the　conditions　which　I　have　described。　I　have　stated　in　such　plain　words　what　I　saw；　mainly　for　the　reason　that　later　I　want　to　emphasize　the　encouraging　changes　that　have　taken　place　in　the　community；　not　wholly　by　the　work　of　the　Tuskegee　school；　but　by　that　of　other　institutions　as　well。



Chapter　VIII。　Teaching　School　In　A　Stable　And　A　Hen…House

I　confess　that　what　I　saw　during　my　month　of　travel　and　investigation　left　me　with　a　very　heavy　heart。　The　work　to　be　done　in　order　to　lift　these　people　up　seemed　almost　beyond　accomplishing。　I　was　only　one　person；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　little　effort　which　I　could　put　forth　could　go　such　a　short　distance　toward　bringing　about　results。　I　wondered　if　I　could　accomplish　anything；　and　if　it　were　worth　while　for　me　to　try。

Of　one　thing　I　felt　more　strongly　convinced　than　ever；　after　spending　this　month　in　seeing　the　actual　life　of　the　coloured　people；　and　that　was　that；　in　order　to　lift　them　up；　something　must　be　done　more　than　merely　to　imitate　New　England　education　as　it　then　existed。　I　saw　more　clearly　than　ever　the　wisdom　of　the　system　which　General　Armstrong　had　inaugurated　at　Hampton。　To　take　the　children　of　such　people　as　I　had　been　among　for　a　month；　and　each　day　give　them　a　few　hours　of　mere　book　education；　I　felt　would　be　almost　a　waste　of　time。

After　consultation　with　the　citizens　of　Tuskegee；　I　set　July　4；　1881；　as　the　day　for　the　opening　of　the　school　in　the　little　shanty　and　church　which　had　been　secured　for　its　accommodation。　The　white　people；　as　well　as　the　coloured；　were　greatly　interested　in　the　starting　of　the　new　school；　and　the　opening　day　was　looked　forward　to　with　much　earnest　discussion。　There　were　not　a　few　white　people　in　the　vicinity　of　Tuskegee　who　looked　with　some　disfavour　upon　the　project。　They　questioned　its　value　to　the　coloured　people；　and　had　a　fear　that　it　might　result　in　bringing　about　trouble　between　the　races。　Some　had　the　feeling　that　in　proportion　as　the　Negro　received　education；　in　the　same　proportion　would　his　value　decrease　as　an　economic　factor　in　the　state。　These　people　feared　the　result　of　education　would　be　that　the　Negroes　would　leave　the　farms；　and　that　it　would　be　difficult　to　secure　them　for　domestic　service。

The　white　people　who　questioned　the　wisdom　of　starting　this　new　school　had　in　their　minds　pictures　of　what　was　called　an　educated　Negro；　with　a　high　hat；　imitation　gold　eye…glasses；　a　showy　walking…stick；　kid　gloves；　fancy　boots；　and　what　notin　a　wo