up from slavery-第20节

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We　found　that　the　most　of　our　students　came　from　the　country　districts；　where　agriculture　in　some　form　or　other　was　the　main　dependence　of　the　people。　We　learned　that　about　eighty…five　per　cent　of　the　coloured　people　in　the　Gulf　states　depended　upon　agriculture　for　their　living。　Since　this　was　true；　we　wanted　to　be　careful　not　to　education　our　students　out　of　sympathy　with　agricultural　life；　so　that　they　would　be　attracted　from　the　country　to　the　cities；　and　yield　to　the　temptation　of　trying　to　live　by　their　wits。　We　wanted　to　give　them　such　an　education　as　would　fit　a　large　proportion　of　them　to　be　teachers；　and　at　the　same　time　cause　them　to　return　to　the　plantation　districts　and　show　the　people　there　how　to　put　new　energy　and　new　ideas　into　farming；　as　well　as　into　the　intellectual　and　moral　and　religious　life　of　the　people。

All　these　ideas　and　needs　crowded　themselves　upon　us　with　a　seriousness　that　seemed　well…night　overwhelming。　What　were　we　to　do？　We　had　only　the　little　old　shanty　and　the　abandoned　church　which　the　good　coloured　people　of　the　town　of　Tuskegee　had　kindly　loaned　us　for　the　accommodation　of　the　classes。　The　number　of　students　was　increasing　daily。　The　more　we　saw　of　them；　and　the　more　we　travelled　through　the　country　districts；　the　more　we　saw　that　our　efforts　were　reaching；　to　only　a　partial　degree；　the　actual　needs　of　the　people　whom　we　wanted　to　lift　up　through　the　medium　of　the　students　whom　we　should　education　and　send　out　as　leaders。

The　more　we　talked　with　the　students；　who　were　then　coming　to　us　from　several　parts　of　the　state；　the　more　we　found　that　the　chief　ambition　among　a　large　proportion　of　them　was　to　get　an　education　so　that　they　would　not　have　to　work　any　longer　with　their　hands。

This　is　illustrated　by　a　story　told　of　a　coloured　man　in　Alabama；　who；　one　hot　day　in　July；　while　he　was　at　work　in　a　cotton…field；　suddenly　stopped；　and；　looking　toward　the　skies；　said：　〃O　Lawd；　de　cottom　am　so　grassy；　de　work　am　so　hard；　and　the　sun　am　so　hot　dat　I　b'lieve　dis　darky　am　called　to　preach！〃

About　three　months　after　the　opening　of　the　school；　and　at　the　time　when　we　were　in　the　greatest　anxiety　about　our　work；　there　came　into　market　for　sale　an　old　and　abandoned　plantation　which　was　situated　about　a　mile　from　the　town　of　Tuskegee。　The　mansion　houseor　〃big　house；〃　as　it　would　have　been　calledwhich　had　been　occupied　by　the　owners　during　slavery；　had　been　burned。　After　making　a　careful　examination　of　the　place；　it　seemed　to　be　just　the　location　that　we　wanted　in　order　to　make　our　work　effective　and　permanent。

But　how　were　we　to　get　it？　The　price　asked　for　it　was　very　little　only　five　hundred　dollarsbut　we　had　no　money；　and　we　were　strangers　in　the　town　and　had　no　credit。　The　owner　of　the　land　agreed　to　let　us　occupy　the　place　if　we　could　make　a　payment　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　down；　with　the　understanding　that　the　remaining　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　must　be　paid　within　a　year。　Although　five　hundred　dollars　was　cheap　for　the　land；　it　was　a　large　sum　when　one　did　not　have　any　part　of　it。

In　the　midst　of　the　difficulty　I　summoned　a　great　deal　of　courage　and　wrote　to　my　friend　General　J。F。B。　Marshall；　the　Treasurer　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　putting　the　situation　before　him　and　beseeching　him　to　lend　me　the　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　on　my　own　personal　responsibility。　Within　a　few　days　a　reply　came　to　the　effect　that　he　had　no　authority　to　lend　me　the　money　belonging　to　the　Hampton　Institute；　but　that　he　would　gladly　lend　me　the　amount　needed　from　his　own　personal　funds。

I　confess　that　the　securing　of　this　money　in　this　way　was　a　great　surprise　to　me；　as　well　as　a　source　of　gratification。　Up　to　that　time　I　never　had　had　in　my　possession　so　much　money　as　one　hundred　dollars　at　a　time；　and　the　loan　which　I　had　asked　General　Marshall　for　seemed　a　tremendously　large　sum　to　me。　The　fact　of　my　being　responsible　for　the　repaying　of　such　a　large　amount　of　money　weighed　very　heavily　upon　me。

I　lost　no　time　in　getting　ready　to　move　the　school　on　to　the　new　farm。　At　the　time　we　occupied　the　place　there　were　standing　upon　it　a　cabin；　formerly　used　as　a　dining　room；　an　old　kitchen；　a　stable；　and　an　old　hen…house。　Within　a　few　weeks　we　had　all　of　these　structures　in　use。　The　stable　was　repaired　and　used　as　a　recitation…room；　and　very　presently　the　hen…house　was　utilized　for　the　same　purpose。

I　recall　that　one　morning；　when　I　told　an　old　coloured　man　who　lived　near；　and　who　sometimes　helped　me；　that　our　school　had　grown　so　large　that　it　would　be　necessary　for　us　to　use　the　hen…house　for　school　purposes；　and　that　I　wanted　him　to　help　me　give　it　a　thorough　cleaning　out　the　next　day；　he　replied；　in　the　most　earnest　manner：　〃What　you　mean；　boss？　You　sholy　ain't　gwine　clean　out　de　hen…house　in　de　day…time？〃

Nearly　all　the　work　of　getting　the　new　location　ready　for　school　purposes　was　done　by　the　students　after　school　was　over　in　the　afternoon。　As　soon　as　we　got　the　cabins　in　condition　to　be　used；　I　determined　to　clear　up　some　land　so　that　we　could　plant　a　crop。　When　I　explained　my　plan　to　the　young　men；　I　noticed　that　they　did　not　seem　to　take　to　it　very　kindly。　It　was　hard　for　them　to　see　the　connection　between　clearing　land　and　an　education。　Besides；　many　of　them　had　been　school…teachers；　and　they　questioned　whether　or　not　clearing　land　would　be　in　keeping　with　their　dignity。　In　order　to　relieve　them　from　any　embarrassment；　each　afternoon　after　school　I　took　my　axe　and　led　the　way　to　the　woods。　When　they　saw　that　I　was　not　afraid　or　ashamed　to　work；　they　began　to　assist　with　more　enthusiasm。　We　kept　at　the　work　each　afternoon；　until　we　had　cleared　about　twenty　acres　and　had　planted　a　crop。

In　the　meantime　Miss　Davidson　was　devising　plans　to　repay　the　loan。　Her　first　effort　was　made　by　holding　festivals；　or　〃suppers。〃　She　made　a　personal　canvass　among　the　white　and　coloured　families　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee；　and　got　them　to　agree　to　give　something；　like　a　cake；　a　chicken；　bread；　or　pies；　that　could　be　sold　at　the　festival。　Of　course　the　coloured　people　were　glad　to　give　anything　that　they　could　spare；　but　I　want　to　add　that　Miss　Davidson　did　not　apply　to　a　single　white　family；　so　far　as　I　now　remember；　that　failed　to　donate　something；　and　in　many　ways　the　white　families　showed　their　interested　in　the　school。

Several　of　these　festivals　were　held；　and　quite　a　little　sum　of　money　was　raised。　A　canvass　was　also　made　among　the　people　of　both　races　for　direct　gifts　of　money；　and　most　of　those　applied　to　gave　small　sums。　It　was　often　pathetic　to　note　the　gifts　of　the　older　coloured　people；　most　of　whom　had　spent　their　best　days　in　slavery。　Sometimes　they　would　give　five　cents；　sometimes　twenty…five　cents。　Sometimes　the　contribution　was　a　quilt；　or　a　quantity　of　sugarcane。　I　recall　one　old　coloured　women　who　was　about　seventy　years　of　age；　who　came　to　see　me　when　we　were　raising　money　to　pay　for　the　farm。　She　hobbled　into　the　room　where　I　was；　leaning　on　a　cane。　She　was　clad　in　rags；　but　they　were　clean。　She　said：　〃Mr。　Washin'ton；　God　knows　I　spent　de　bes'　days　of　my　life　in　slavery。　God　knows　I's　ignorant　an'　poor；　but；〃　she　added；　〃I　knows　what　you　an'　Miss　Davidson　is　tryin'　to　do。　I　knows　you　is　tryin'　to　make　better　men　an'　better　women　for　de　coloured　race。　I　ain't　got　no　money；　but　I　wants　you　to　take　dese　six　eggs；　what　I's　been　savin'　up；　an'　I　wants　you　to　put　dese　six　eggs　into　the　eddication　of　dese　boys　an'　gals。〃

Since　the　work　at　Tuskegee　started；　it　has　been　my　privilege　to　receive　many　gifts　for　the　benefit　of　the　institution；　but　never　any；　I　think；　that　touched　me　so　deeply　as　this　one。



Chapter　IX。　Anxious　Days　And　Sleepless　Nights

The　coming　of　Christmas；　that　first　year　of　our　residence　in　Alabama；　gave　us　an　opportunity　to　get　a　farther　insight　into　the　real　life　of　the　people。　The　first　thing　that　reminded　us　that　Christmas　had　arrived　was　the　〃foreday〃　visits　of　scores　of　children　rapping　at　our　doors；　asking　for　〃Chris'mus　gifts！　Chris'mus　gifts！〃　Between　the　hours　of　two　o'clock　and　five　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　presume　that　we　must　have　had　a　half…hundred　such　calls。　This　custom　prevails　throughout　this　portion　of　the　South　to…day。

During　the　days　of　slavery　it　was　a　custom　quite　generally　observed　throughout　all　the　Southern　states　to　give　the　coloured　people　a　week　of　holiday　at　Christmas；　or　to　allow　the　holiday　to　continue　as　long　as　the　〃yule　log〃　lasted。　The　male　members　of　the　race；　and　often　the　female　members；　were　expected　to　get　drunk。　We　found　that　for　a　whole　week　the　coloured　people　in　and　around　Tuskegee　dropped　work　the　day　before　Christmas；　and　that　it　was　difficult　for　any　one　to　perform　any　service　from　the　time　they　stopped　work　until　after　the　New　Year。　Persons　who　at　other　times　did　not　use　strong　drink　thought　it　quite　the　proper　thing　to　indulge　in　it　rather　freely　during　the　Christmas　week。　There　was　a　widespread　hilarity；　and　a　free　use　of　guns；　pistols；　and　gunpowder　generally。　The　sacredness　of　the　season　seemed　to　have　been　almost　wholly　lost　sight　of。

During　this　first　Christmas　vacation　I　went　some　distance　from　the　town　to　visit　the　people　on　one　of　the　large　plantations。　In　their　poverty　and　ignorance　it　was　pathetic