up from slavery-第5章

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　among　strange　people；　even　if　they　had　been　sure　where　to　find　a　new　place　of　abode。　To　this　class　the　problem　seemed　especially　hard。　Besides；　deep　down　in　their　hearts　there　was　a　strange　and　peculiar　attachment　to　〃old　Marster〃　and　〃old　Missus；〃　and　to　their　children；　which　they　found　it　hard　to　think　of　breaking　off。　With　these　they　had　spent　in　some　cases　nearly　a　half…century；　and　it　was　no　light　thing　to　think　of　parting。　Gradually；　one　by　one；　stealthily　at　first；　the　older　slaves　began　to　wander　from　the　slave　quarters　back　to　the　〃big　house〃　to　have　a　whispered　conversation　with　their　former　owners　as　to　the　future。



Chapter　II。　Boyhood　Days

After　the　coming　of　freedom　there　were　two　points　upon　which　practically　all　the　people　on　our　place　were　agreed；　and　I　found　that　this　was　generally　true　throughout　the　South：　that　they　must　change　their　names；　and　that　they　must　leave　the　old　plantation　for　at　least　a　few　days　or　weeks　in　order　that　they　might　really　feel　sure　that　they　were　free。

In　some　way　a　feeling　got　among　the　coloured　people　that　it　was　far　from　proper　for　them　to　bear　the　surname　of　their　former　owners；　and　a　great　many　of　them　took　other　surnames。　This　was　one　of　the　first　signs　of　freedom。　When　they　were　slaves；　a　coloured　person　was　simply　called　〃John〃　or　〃Susan。〃　There　was　seldom　occasion　for　more　than　the　use　of　the　one　name。　If　〃John〃　or　〃Susan〃　belonged　to　a　white　man　by　the　name　of　〃Hatcher；〃　sometimes　he　was　called　〃John　Hatcher；〃　or　as　often　〃Hatcher's　John。〃　But　there　was　a　feeling　that　〃John　Hatcher〃　or　〃Hatcher's　John〃　was　not　the　proper　title　by　which　to　denote　a　freeman；　and　so　in　many　cases　〃John　Hatcher〃　was　changed　to　〃John　S。　Lincoln〃　or　〃John　S。　Sherman；〃　the　initial　〃S〃　standing　for　no　name；　it　being　simply　a　part　of　what　the　coloured　man　proudly　called　his　〃entitles。〃

As　I　have　stated；　most　of　the　coloured　people　left　the　old　plantation　for　a　short　while　at　least；　so　as　to　be　sure；　it　seemed；　that　they　could　leave　and　try　their　freedom　on　to　see　how　it　felt。　After　they　had　remained　away　for　a　while；　many　of　the　older　slaves；　especially；　returned　to　their　old　homes　and　made　some　kind　of　contract　with　their　former　owners　by　which　they　remained　on　the　estate。

My　mother's　husband；　who　was　the　stepfather　of　my　brother　John　and　myself；　did　not　belong　to　the　same　owners　as　did　my　mother。　In　fact；　he　seldom　came　to　our　plantation。　I　remember　seeing　his　there　perhaps　once　a　year；　that　being　about　Christmas　time。　In　some　way；　during　the　war；　by　running　away　and　following　the　Federal　soldiers；　it　seems；　he　found　his　way　into　the　new　state　of　West　Virginia。　As　soon　as　freedom　was　declared；　he　sent　for　my　mother　to　come　to　the　Kanawha　Valley；　in　West　Virginia。　At　that　time　a　journey　from　Virginia　over　the　mountains　to　West　Virginia　was　rather　a　tedious　and　in　some　cases　a　painful　undertaking。　What　little　clothing　and　few　household　goods　we　had　were　placed　in　a　cart；　but　the　children　walked　the　greater　portion　of　the　distance；　which　was　several　hundred　miles。

I　do　not　think　any　of　us　ever　had　been　very　far　from　the　plantation；　and　the　taking　of　a　long　journey　into　another　state　was　quite　an　event。　The　parting　from　our　former　owners　and　the　members　of　our　own　race　on　the　plantation　was　a　serious　occasion。　From　the　time　of　our　parting　till　their　death　we　kept　up　a　correspondence　with　the　older　members　of　the　family；　and　in　later　years　we　have　kept　in　touch　with　those　who　were　the　younger　members。　We　were　several　weeks　making　the　trip；　and　most　of　the　time　we　slept　in　the　open　air　and　did　our　cooking　over　a　log　fire　out…of…doors。　One　night　I　recall　that　we　camped　near　an　abandoned　log　cabin；　and　my　mother　decided　to　build　a　fire　in　that　for　cooking；　and　afterward　to　make　a　〃pallet〃　on　the　floor　for　our　sleeping。　Just　as　the　fire　had　gotten　well　started　a　large　black　snake　fully　a　yard　and　a　half　long　dropped　down　the　chimney　and　ran　out　on　the　floor。　Of　course　we　at　once　abandoned　that　cabin。　Finally　we　reached　our　destinationa　little　town　called　Malden；　which　is　about　five　miles　from　Charleston；　the　present　capital　of　the　state。

At　that　time　salt…mining　was　the　great　industry　in　that　part　of　West　Virginia；　and　the　little　town　of　Malden　was　right　in　the　midst　of　the　salt…furnaces。　My　stepfather　had　already　secured　a　job　at　a　salt…furnace；　and　he　had　also　secured　a　little　cabin　for　us　to　live　in。　Our　new　house　was　no　better　than　the　one　we　had　left　on　the　old　plantation　in　Virginia。　In　fact；　in　one　respect　it　was　worse。　Notwithstanding　the　poor　condition　of　our　plantation　cabin；　we　were　at　all　times　sure　of　pure　air。　Our　new　home　was　in　the　midst　of　a　cluster　of　cabins　crowded　closely　together；　and　as　there　were　no　sanitary　regulations；　the　filth　about　the　cabins　was　often　intolerable。　Some　of　our　neighbours　were　coloured　people；　and　some　were　the　poorest　and　most　ignorant　and　degraded　white　people。　It　was　a　motley　mixture。　Drinking；　gambling；　quarrels；　fights；　and　shockingly　immoral　practices　were　frequent。　All　who　lived　in　the　little　town　were　in　one　way　or　another　connected　with　the　salt　business。　Though　I　was　a　mere　child；　my　stepfather　put　me　and　my　brother　at　work　in　one　of　the　furnaces。　Often　I　began　work　as　early　as　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。

The　first　thing　I　ever　learned　in　the　way　of　book　knowledge　was　while　working　in　this　salt…furnace。　Each　salt…packer　had　his　barrels　marked　with　a　certain　number。　The　number　allotted　to　my　stepfather　was　〃18。〃　At　the　close　of　the　day's　work　the　boss　of　the　packers　would　come　around　and　put　〃18〃　on　each　of　our　barrels；　and　I　soon　learned　to　recognize　that　figure　wherever　I　saw　it；　and　after　a　while　got　to　the　point　where　I　could　make　that　figure；　though　I　knew　nothing　about　any　other　figures　or　letters。

From　the　time　that　I　can　remember　having　any　thoughts　about　anything；　I　recall　that　I　had　an　intense　longing　to　learn　to　read。　I　determined；　when　quite　a　small　child；　that；　if　I　accomplished　nothing　else　in　life；　I　would　in　some　way　get　enough　education　to　enable　me　to　read　common　books　and　newspapers。　Soon　after　we　got　settled　in　some　manner　in　our　new　cabin　in　West　Virginia；　I　induced　my　mother　to　get　hold　of　a　book　for　me。　How　or　where　she　got　it　I　do　not　know；　but　in　some　way　she　procured　an　old　copy　of　Webster's　〃blue…back〃　spelling…book；　which　contained　the　alphabet；　followed　by　such　meaningless　words　as　〃ab；〃　〃ba；〃　〃ca；〃　〃da。〃　I　began　at　once　to　devour　this　book；　and　I　think　that　it　was　the　first　one　I　ever　had　in　my　hands。　I　had　learned　from　somebody　that　the　way　to　begin　to　read　was　to　learn　the　alphabet；　so　I　tried　in　all　the　ways　I　could　think　of　to　learn　it；all　of　course　without　a　teacher；　for　I　could　find　no　one　to　teach　me。　At　that　time　there　was　not　a　single　member　of　my　race　anywhere　near　us　who　could　read；　and　I　was　too　timid　to　approach　any　of　the　white　people。　In　some　way；　within　a　few　weeks；　I　mastered　the　greater　portion　of　the　alphabet。　In　all　my　efforts　to　learn　to　read　my　mother　shared　fully　my　ambition；　and　sympathized　with　me　and　aided　me　in　every　way　that　she　could。　Though　she　was　totally　ignorant；　she　had　high　ambitions　for　her　children；　and　a　large　fund　of　good；　hard；　common　sense；　which　seemed　to　enable　her　to　meet　and　master　every　situation。　If　I　have　done　anything　in　life　worth　attention；　I　feel　sure　that　I　inherited　the　disposition　from　my　mother。

In　the　midst　of　my　struggles　and　longing　for　an　education；　a　young　coloured　boy　who　had　learned　to　read　in　the　state　of　Ohio　came　to　Malden。　As　soon　as　the　coloured　people　found　out　that　he　could　read；　a　newspaper　was　secured；　and　at　the　close　of　nearly　every　day's　work　this　young　man　would　be　surrounded　by　a　group　of　men　and　women　who　were　anxious　to　hear　him　read　the　news　contained　in　the　papers。　How　I　used　to　envy　this　man！　He　seemed　to　me　to　be　the　one　young　man　in　all　the　world　who　ought　to　be　satisfied　with　his　attainments。

About　this　time　the　question　of　having　some　kind　of　a　school　opened　for　the　coloured　children　in　the　village　began　to　be　discussed　by　members　of　the　race。　As　it　would　be　the　first　school　for　Negro　children　that　had　ever　been　opened　in　that　part　of　Virginia；　it　was；　of　course；　to　be　a　great　event；　and　the　discussion　excited　the　wildest　interest。　The　most　perplexing　question　was　where　to　find　a　teacher。　The　young　man　from　Ohio　who　had　learned　to　read　the　papers　was　considered；　but　his　age　was　against　him。　In　the　midst　of　the　discussion　about　a　teacher；　another　young　coloured　man　from　Ohio；　who　had　been　a　soldier；　in　some　way　found　his　way　into　town。　It　was　soon　learned　that　he　possessed　considerable　education；　and　he　was　engaged　by　the　coloured　people　to　teach　their　first　school。　As　yet　no　free　schools　had　been　started　for　coloured　people　in　that　section；　hence　each　family　agreed　to　pay　a　certain　amount　per　month；　with　the　understanding　that　the　teacher　was　to　〃board　'round〃that　is；　spend　a　day　with　each　family。　This　was　not　bad　for　the　teacher；　for　each　family　tried　to　provide　the　very　best　on　the　day　the　teacher　was　to　be　its　guest。　I　recall　that　I　looked　forward　with　an　anxious　appetite　to　the　〃teacher's　day〃　at　our　little　cabin。

This　experience　of　a　whole　race　beginning　to　go　to　school　for　the　first　time；　presents　one　of　the　most　interesting　studies　that　has　ever　occurred　in　connection　with　the　development　of　any　race。　Few　people　who　were　not　right　in　the　midst　of　the　scenes　can　form　any　exact　idea　of　the　intense　desire　which　the　people　of　my　race　showed　for　an　education。　As　I　have　stated；　it　was　a　whole　race　trying　to　go　to　school。　Few　were　too　young；　and　none　too　old；　to　make　the　attempt　to　learn。　As　fast　as　any　kind　of　teachers　could　be　secured；　not　only　were　day…schools　filled；　but　night…schools　as　well。　The　great　ambition　of　the　older　people　was　to　try　to　learn　to　read　the　Bible　before　they　died。　With　this　end　in　view　men　and　women　who　were　fifty　or　seventy…five　years　old　would　often　be　found　in　the　night…school。　Some　day…schools　were　formed　soon　after　freedom；　but　the　principal　book　studied　in　the　Sunday…school　was　the　spelling…book。　Day…school；　night…school；　Sunday…school；　were　always　crowded；　and　often　many　had　to　be　turned　away　for　want　of　room。

The　opening　of　the　school　in　the　Kanawha　Valley；　however；　brought　to　me　one　of　the　keenest　disappointments　that　I　ever　experienced。　I　had　been　working　in　a　salt…furnace　for　several　months；　and　my　stepfather　had　discovered　that　I　had　a　financial　value；　and　so；　when　the　school　opened；　he　decided　that　he　could　not　spare　me　from　my　work。　This　decision　seemed　to　cloud　my　every　ambition。　The　disappointment　was　made　all　the　more　severe　by　reason　of　the　fact　that　my　place　of　work　was　where　I　could　see　the　happy　children　passing　to　and　from　school　mornings　and　afternoons。　Despite　this　disappointment；　however；　I　determined　that　I　would　learn　something；　anyway。　I　applied　myself　with　greater　earnestness　than　ever　to　the　mastering　of　what　was　in　the　〃blue…back〃　speller。

My　mother　sympathized　with　me　in　my　disappointment；　and　sought　to　comfort　me　in　all　the　ways　she　could；　and　to　help　me　find　a　way　to　learn。　After　a　while　I　succeeded　in　making　arrangements　with　the　teacher　to　give　me　some　lessons　at　night；　after　the　day's　work　was　done。　These　night　lessons　were　so　welcome　that　I　think　I