up from slavery-第14部分

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　to　become　music　teachers；　but　I　had　a　reasonably　fixed　idea；　even　at　that　early　period　in　my　life；　that　there　was　a　need　for　something　to　be　done　to　prepare　the　way　for　successful　lawyers；　Congressmen；　and　music　teachers。

I　felt　that　the　conditions　were　a　good　deal　like　those　of　an　old　coloured　man；　during　the　days　of　slavery；　who　wanted　to　learn　how　to　play　on　the　guitar。　In　his　desire　to　take　guitar　lessons　he　applied　to　one　of　his　young　masters　to　teach　him；　but　the　young　man；　not　having　much　faith　in　the　ability　of　the　slave　to　master　the　guitar　at　his　age；　sought　to　discourage　him　by　telling　him：　〃Uncle　Jake；　I　will　give　you　guitar　lessons；　but；　Jake；　I　will　have　to　charge　you　three　dollars　for　the　first　lesson；　two　dollars　for　the　second　lesson；　and　one　dollar　for　the　third　lesson。　But　I　will　charge　you　only　twenty…five　cents　for　the　last　lesson。〃

Uncle　Jake　answered：　〃All　right；　boss；　I　hires　you　on　dem　terms。　But；　boss！　I　wants　yer　to　be　sure　an'　give　me　dat　las'　lesson　first。〃

Soon　after　my　work　in　connection　with　the　removal　of　the　capital　was　finished；　I　received　an　invitation　which　gave　me　great　joy　and　which　at　the　same　time　was　a　very　pleasant　surprise。　This　was　a　letter　from　General　Armstrong；　inviting　me　to　return　to　Hampton　at　the　next　Commencement　to　deliver　what　was　called　the　〃post…graduate　address。〃　This　was　an　honour　which　I　had　not　dreamed　of　receiving。　With　much　care　I　prepared　the　best　address　that　I　was　capable　of。　I　chose　for　my　subject　〃The　Force　That　Wins。〃

As　I　returned　to　Hampton　for　the　purpose　of　delivering　this　address；　I　went　over　much　of　the　same　groundnow；　however；　covered　entirely　by　railroadthat　I　had　traversed　nearly　six　years　before；　when　I　first　sought　entrance　into　Hampton　Institute　as　a　student。　Now　I　was　able　to　ride　the　whole　distance　in　the　train。　I　was　constantly　contrasting　this　with　my　first　journey　to　Hampton。　I　think　I　may　say；　without　seeming　egotism；　that　it　is　seldom　that　five　years　have　wrought　such　a　change　in　the　life　and　aspirations　of　an　individual。

At　Hampton　I　received　a　warm　welcome　from　teachers　and　students。　I　found　that　during　my　absence　from　Hampton　the　institute　each　year　had　been　getting　closer　to　the　real　needs　and　conditions　of　our　people；　that　the　industrial　reaching；　as　well　as　that　of　the　academic　department；　had　greatly　improved。　The　plan　of　the　school　was　not　modelled　after　that　of　any　other　institution　then　in　existence；　but　every　improvement　was　made　under　the　magnificent　leadership　of　General　Armstrong　solely　with　the　view　of　meeting　and　helping　the　needs　of　our　people　as　they　presented　themselves　at　the　time。　Too　often；　it　seems　to　me；　in　missionary　and　educational　work　among　underdeveloped　races；　people　yield　to　the　temptation　of　doing　that　which　was　done　a　hundred　years　before；　or　is　being　done　in　other　communities　a　thousand　miles　away。　The　temptation　often　is　to　run　each　individual　through　a　certain　educational　mould；　regardless　of　the　condition　of　the　subject　or　the　end　to　be　accomplished。　This　was　not　so　at　Hampton　Institute。

The　address　which　I　delivered　on　Commencement　Day　seems　to　have　pleased　every　one；　and　many　kind　and　encouraging　words　were　spoken　to　me　regarding　it。　Soon　after　my　return　to　my　home　in　West　Virginia；　where　I　had　planned　to　continue　teaching；　I　was　again　surprised　to　receive　a　letter　from　General　Armstrong；　asking　me　to　return　to　Hampton　partly　as　a　teacher　and　partly　to　pursue　some　supplementary　studies。　This　was　in　the　summer　of　1879。　Soon　after　I　began　my　first　teaching　in　West　Virginia　I　had　picked　out　four　of　the　brightest　and　most　promising　of　my　pupils；　in　addition　to　my　two　brothers；　to　whom　I　have　already　referred；　and　had　given　them　special　attention；　with　the　view　of　having　them　go　to　Hampton。　They　had　gone　there；　and　in　each　case　the　teachers　had　found　them　so　well　prepared　that　they　entered　advanced　classes。　This　fact；　it　seems；　led　to　my　being　called　back　to　Hampton　as　a　teacher。　One　of　the　young　men　that　I　sent　to　Hampton　in　this　way　is　now　Dr。　Samuel　E。　Courtney；　a　successful　physician　in　Boston；　and　a　member　of　the　School　Board　of　that　city。

About　this　time　the　experiment　was　being　tried　for　the　first　time；　by　General　Armstrong；　of　education　Indians　at　Hampton。　Few　people　then　had　any　confidence　in　the　ability　of　the　Indians　to　receive　education　and　to　profit　by　it。　General　Armstrong　was　anxious　to　try　the　experiment　systematically　on　a　large　scale。　He　secured　from　the　reservations　in　the　Western　states　over　one　hundred　wild　and　for　the　most　part　perfectly　ignorant　Indians；　the　greater　proportion　of　whom　were　young　men。　The　special　work　which　the　General　desired　me　to　do　was　be　a　sort　of　〃house　father〃　to　the　Indian　young　menthat　is；　I　was　to　live　in　the　building　with　them　and　have　the　charge　of　their　discipline；　clothing；　rooms；　and　so　on。　This　was　a　very　tempting　offer；　but　I　had　become　so　much　absorbed　in　my　work　in　West　Virginia　that　I　dreaded　to　give　it　up。　However；　I　tore　myself　away　from　it。　I　did　not　know　how　to　refuse　to　perform　any　service　that　General　Armstrong　desired　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