up from slavery-第16章

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to　have　mastered。　The　bigger　the　book　and　the　longer　the　name　of　the　subject；　the　prouder　they　felt　of　their　accomplishment。　Some　had　studied　Latin；　and　one　or　two　Greek。　This　they　thought　entitled　them　to　special　distinction。

In　fact；　one　of　the　saddest　things　I　saw　during　the　month　of　travel　which　I　have　described　was　a　young　man；　who　had　attended　some　high　school；　sitting　down　in　a　one…room　cabin；　with　grease　on　his　clothing；　filth　all　around　him；　and　weeds　in　the　yard　and　garden；　engaged　in　studying　a　French　grammar。

The　students　who　came　first　seemed　to　be　fond　of　memorizing　long　and　complicated　〃rules〃　in　grammar　and　mathematics；　but　had　little　thought　or　knowledge　of　applying　these　rules　to　their　everyday　affairs　of　their　life。　One　subject　which　they　liked　to　talk　about；　and　tell　me　that　they　had　mastered；　in　arithmetic；　was　〃banking　and　discount；〃　but　I　soon　found　out　that　neither　they　nor　almost　any　one　in　the　neighbourhood　in　which　they　had　lived　had　ever　had　a　bank　account。　In　registering　the　names　of　the　students；　I　found　that　almost　every　one　of　them　had　one　or　more　middle　initials。　When　I　asked　what　the　〃J〃　stood　for；　in　the　name　of　John　J。　Jones；　it　was　explained　to　me　that　this　was　a　part　of　his　〃entitles。〃　Most　of　the　students　wanted　to　get　an　education　because　they　thought　it　would　enable　them　to　earn　more　money　as　school…teachers。

Notwithstanding　what　I　have　said　about　them　in　these　respects；　I　have　never　seen　a　more　earnest　and　willing　company　of　young　men　and　women　than　these　students　were。　They　were　all　willing　to　learn　the　right　thing　as　soon　as　it　was　shown　them　what　was　right。　I　was　determined　to　start　them　off　on　a　solid　and　thorough　foundation；　so　far　as　their　books　were　concerned。　I　soon　learned　that　most　of　them　had　the　merest　smattering　of　the　high…sounding　things　that　they　had　studied。　While　they　could　locate　the　Desert　of　Sahara　or　the　capital　of　China　on　an　artificial　globe；　I　found　out　that　the　girls　could　not　locate　the　proper　places　for　the　knives　and　forks　on　an　actual　dinner…table；　or　the　places　on　which　the　bread　and　meat　should　be　set。

I　had　to　summon　a　good　deal　of　courage　to　take　a　student　who　had　been　studying　cube　root　and　〃banking　and　discount；〃　and　explain　to　him　that　the　wisest　thing　for　him　to　do　first　was　thoroughly　master　the　multiplication　table。

The　number　of　pupils　increased　each　week；　until　by　the　end　of　the　first　month　there　were　nearly　fifty。　Many　of　them；　however；　said　that；　as　they　could　remain　only　for　two　or　three　months；　they　wanted　to　enter　a　high　class　and　get　a　diploma　the　first　year　if　possible。

At　the　end　of　the　first　six　weeks　a　new　and　rare　face　entered　the　school　as　a　co…teacher。　This　was　Miss　Olivia　A。　Davidson；　who　later　became　my　wife。　Miss　Davidson　was　born　in　Ohio；　and　received　her　preparatory　education　in　the　public　schools　of　that　state。　When　little　more　than　a　girl；　she　heard　of　the　need　of　teachers　in　the　South。　She　went　to　the　state　of　Mississippi　and　began　teaching　there。　Later　she　taught　in　the　city　of　Memphis。　While　teaching　in　Mississippi；　one　of　her　pupils　became　ill　with　smallpox。　Every　one　in　the　community　was　so　frightened　that　no　one　would　nurse　the　boy。　Miss　Davidson　closed　her　school　and　remained　by　the　bedside　of　the　boy　night　and　day　until　he　recovered。　While　she　was　at　her　Ohio　home　on　her　vacation；　the　worst　epidemic　of　yellow　fever　broke　out　in　Memphis；　Tenn。；　that　perhaps　has　ever　occurred　in　the　South。　When　she　heard　of　this；　she　at　once　telegraphed　the　Mayor　of　Memphis；　offering　her　services　as　a　yellow…fever　nurse；　although　she　had　never　had　the　disease。

Miss　Davidon's　experience　in　the　South　showed　her　that　the　people　needed　something　more　than　mere　book…learning。　She　heard　of　the　Hampton　system　of　education；　and　decided　that　this　was　what　she　wanted　in　order　to　prepare　herself　for　better　work　in　the　South。　The　attention　of　Mrs。　Mary　Hemenway；　of　Boston；　was　attracted　to　her　rare　ability。　Through　Mrs。　Hemenway's　kindness　and　generosity；　Miss　Davidson；　after　graduating　at　Hampton；　received　an　opportunity　to　complete　a　two　years'　course　of　training　at　the　Massachusetts　State　Normal　School　at　Framingham。

Before　she　went　to　Framingham；　some　one　suggested　to　Miss　Davidson　that；　since　she　was　so　very　light　in　colour；　she　might　find　it　more　comfortable　not　to　be　known　as　a　coloured　women　in　this　school　in　Massachusetts。　She　at　once　replied　that　under　no　circumstances　and　for　no　considerations　would　she　consent　to　deceive　any　one　in　regard　to　her　racial　identity。

Soon　after　her　graduation　from　the　Framingham　institution；　Miss　Davidson　came　to　Tuskegee；　bringing　into　the　school　many　valuable　and　fresh　ideas　as　to　the　best　methods　of　teaching；　as　well　as　a　rare　moral　character　and　a　life　of　unselfishness　that　I　think　has　seldom　been　equalled。　No　single　individual　did　more　toward　laying　the　foundations　of　the　Tuskegee　Institute　so　as　to　insure　the　successful　work　that　has　been　done　there　than　Olivia　A。　Davidson。

Miss　Davidson　and　I　began　consulting　as　to　the　future　of　the　school　from　the　first。　The　students　were　making　progress　in　learning　books　and　in　development　their　minds；　but　it　became　apparent　at　once　that；　if　we　were　to　make　any　permanent　impression　upon　those　who　had　come　to　us　for　training　we　must　do　something　besides　teach　them　mere　books。　The　students　had　come　from　homes　where　they　had　had　no　opportunities　for　lessons　which　would　teach　them　how　to　care　for　their　bodies。　With　few　exceptions；　the　homes　in　Tuskegee　in　which　the　students　boarded　were　but　little　improvement　upon　those　from　which　they　had　come。　We　wanted　to　teach　the　students　how　to　bathe；　how　to　care　for　their　teeth　and　clothing。　We　wanted　to　teach　them　what　to　eat；　and　how　to　eat　it　properly；　and　how　to　care　for　their　rooms。　Aside　from　this；　we　wanted　to　give　them　such　a　practical　knowledge　of　some　one　industry；　together　with　the　spirit　of　industry；　thrift；　and　economy；　that　they　would　be　sure　of　knowing　how　to　make　a　living　after　they　had　left　us。　We　wanted　to　teach　them　to　study　actual　things　instead　of　mere　books　alone。

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