up from slavery-第19部分

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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　to　see　their　attempts　to　get　joy　out　of　the　season　that　in　most　parts　of　the　country　is　so　sacred　and　so　dear　to　the　heart。　In　one　cabin　I　notice　that　all　that　the　five　children　had　to　remind　them　of　the　coming　of　Christ　was　a　single　bunch　of　firecrackers；　which　they　had　divided　among　them。　In　another　cabin；　where　there　were　at　least　a　half…dozen　persons；　they　had　only　ten　cents'　worth　of　ginger…cakes；　which　had　been　bought　in　the　store　the　day　before。　In　another　family　they　had　only　a　few　pieces　of　sugarcane。　In　still　another　cabin　I　found　nothing　but　a　new　jug　of　cheap；　mean　whiskey；　which　the　husband　and　wife　were　making　free　use　of；　notwithstanding　the　fact　that　the　husband　was　one　of　the　local　ministers。　In　a　few　instances　I　found　that　the　people　had　gotten　hold　of　some　bright…coloured　cards　that　had　been　designed　for　advertising　purposes；　and　were　making　the　most　of　these。　In　other　homes　some　member　of　the　family　had　bought　a　new　pistol。　In　the　majority　of　cases　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　in　the　cabin　to　remind　one　of　the　coming　of　the　Saviour；　except　that　the　people　had　ceased　work　in　the　fields　and　were　lounging　about　their　homes。　At　night；　during　Christmas　week；　they　usually　had　what　they　called　a　〃frolic；〃　in　some　cabin　on　the　plantation。　That　meant　a　kind　of　rough　dance；　where　there　was　likely　to　be　a　good　deal　of　whiskey　used；　and　where　there　might　be　some　shooting　or　cutting　with　razors。

While　I　was　making　this　Christmas　visit　I　met　an　old　coloured　man　who　was　one　of　the　numerous　local　preachers；　who　tried　to　convince　me；　from　the　experience　Adam　had　in　the　Garden　of　Eden；　that　God　had　cursed　all　labour；　and　that；　therefore；　it　was　a　sin　for　any　man　to　work。　For　that　reason　this　man　sought　to　do　as　little　work　as　possible。　He　seemed　at　that　time　to　be　supremely　happy；　because　he　was　living；　as　he　expressed　it；　through　one　week　that　was　free　from　sin。

In　the　school　we　made　a　special　effort　to　teach　our　students　the　meaning　of　Christmas；　and　to　give　them　lessons　in　its　proper　observance。　In　this　we　have　been　successful　to　a　degree　that　makes　me　feel　safe　in　saying　that　the　season　now　has　a　new　meaning；　not　only　through　all　that　immediate　region；　but；　in　a　measure；　wherever　our　graduates　have　gone。

At　the　present　time　one　of　the　most　satisfactory　features　of　the　Christmas　and　Thanksgiving　season　at　Tuskegee　is　the　unselfish　and　beautiful　way　in　which　our　graduates　and　students　spend　their　time　in　administering　to　the　comfort　and　happiness　of　others；　especially　the　unfortunate。　Not　long　ago　some　of　our　young　men　spent　a　holiday　in　rebuilding　a　cabin　for　a　helpless　coloured　women　who　was　about　seventy…five　years　old。　At　another　time　I　remember　that　I　made　it　known　in　chapel；　one　night；　that　a　very　poor　student　was　suffering　from　cold；　because　he　needed　a　coat。　The　next　morning　two　coats　were　sent　to　my　office　for　him。

I　have　referred　to　the　disposition　on　the　part　of　the　white　people　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee　and　vicinity　to　help　the　school。　From　the　first；　I　resolved　to　make　the　school　a　real　part　of　the　community　in　which　it　was　located。　I　was　determined　that　no　one　should　have　the　feeling　that　it　was　a　foreign　institution；　dropped　down　in　the　midst　of　the　people；　for　which　they　had　no　responsibility　and　in　which　they　had　no　interest。　I　noticed　that　the　very　fact　that　they　had　been　asking　to　contribute　toward　the　purchase　of　the　land　made　them　begin　to　feel　as　if　it　was　going　to　be　their　school；　to　a　large　degree。　I　noted　that　just　in　proportion　as　we　made　the　white　people　feel　that　the　institution　was　a　part　of　the　life　of　the　community；　and　that；　while　we　wanted　to　make　friends　in　Boston；　for　example；　we　also　wanted　to　make　white　friends　in　Tuskegee；　and　that　we　wanted　to　make　the　school　of　real　service　to　all　the　people；　their　attitude　toward　the　school　became　favourable。

Perhaps　I　might　add　right　here；　what　I　hope　to　demonstrate　later；　that；　so　far　as　I　know；　the　Tuskegee　school　at　the　present　time　has　no　warmer　and　more　enthusiastic　friends　anywhere　than　it　has　among　the　white　citizens　of　Tuskegee　and　throughout　the　state　of　Alabama　and　the　entire　South。　From　the　first；　I　have　advised　our　people　in　the　South　to　make　friends　in　every　straightforward；　manly　way　with　their　next…door　neighbour；　whether　he　be　a　black　man　or　a　white　man。　I　have　also　advised　them；　where　no　principle　is　at　stake；　to　consult　the　interests　of　their　local　communities；　and　to　advise　with　their　friends　in　regard　to　their　voting。

For　several　months　the　work　of　securing　the　money　with　which　to　pay　for　the　farm　went　on　without　ceasing。　At　the　end　of　three　months　enough　was　secured　to　repay　the　loan　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　to　General　Marshall；　and　within　two　months　more　we　had　secured　the　entire　five　hundred　dollars　and　had　received　a　deed　of　the　one　hundred　acres　of　land。　This　gave　us　a　great　deal　of　satisfaction。　It　was　not　only　a　source　of　satisfaction　to　secure　a　permanent　location　for　the　school；　but　it　was　equally　satisfactory　to　know　that　the　greater　part　of　the　money　with　which　it　was　paid　for　had　been　gotten　from　the　white　and　coloured　people　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee。　The　most　of　this　money　was　obtained　by　holding　festivals　and　concerts；　and　from　small　individual　donations。

Our　next　effort　was　in　the　direction　of　increasing　the　cultivation　of　the　land；　so　as　to　secure　some　return　from　it；　and　at　the　same　time　give　the　students　training　in　agriculture。　All　the　industries　at　Tuskegee　have　been　started　in　natural　and　logical　order；　growing　out　of　the　needs　of　a　community　settlement。　We　began　with　farming；　because　we　wanted　something　to　eat。

Many　of　the　students；　also；　were　able　to　remain　in　school　but　a　few　weeks　at　a　time；　because　they　had　so　little　money　with　which　to　pay　their　board。　Thus　another　object　which　made　it　desirable　to　get　an　industrial　system　started　was　in　order　to　make　in　available　as　a　means　of　helping　the　students　to　earn　money　enough　so　that　they　might　be　able　to　remain　in　school　during　the　nine　months'　session　of　the　school　year。

The　first　animal　that　the　school　came　into　possession　of　was　an　old　blind　horse　given　us　by　one　of　the　white　citizens　of　Tuskegee。　Perhaps　I　may　add　here　that　at　the　present　time　the　school　owns　over　two　hundred　horses；　colts；　mules；　cows；　calves；　and　oxen；　and　about　seven　hundred　hogs　and　pigs；　as　well　as　a　large　number　of　sheep　and　goats。

The　school　was　constantly　growing　in　numbers；　so　much　so　that；　after　we　had　got　the　farm　paid　for；　the　cultivation　of　the　land　begun；　and　the　old　cabins　which　we　had　found　on　the　place　somewhat　repaired；　we　turned　our　attention　toward　providing　a　large；　substantial　building。　After　having　given　a　good　deal　of　thought　to　the　subject；　we　finally　had　the　plans　drawn　for　a　building　that　was　estimated　to　cost　about　six　thousand　dollars。　This　seemed　to　us　a　tremendous　sum；　but　we　knew　that　the　school　must　go　backward　or　forward；　and　that　our　work　would　mean　little　unless　we　could　get　hold　of　the　students　in　their　home　life。

One　incident　which　occurred　about　this　time　gave　me　a　great　deal　of　satisfaction　as　well　as　surprise。　When　it　became　known　in　the　town　that　we　were　discussing　the　plans　for　a　new；　large　building；　a　Southern　white　man　who　was　operating　a　sawmill　not　far　from　Tuskegee　came　to　me　and　said　that　he　would　gladly　put　all　the　lumber　necessary　to　erect　the　building　on　the　grounds；　with　no　other　guarantee　for　payment　than　my　word　that　it　would　be　paid　for　when　we　secured　some　money。　I　told　the　man　frankly　that　at　the　time　we　did　not　have　in　our　hands　one　dollar　of　the　money　needed。　Notwithstanding　this；　he　insisted　on　being　allowed　to　put　the　lumber　on　the　grounds。　After　we　had　secured　some　portion　of　the　money　we　permitted　him　to　do　this。

Miss　Davidson　again　began　the　work　of　securing　in　various　ways　small　contributions　for　the　new　building　from　the　white　and　coloured　people　in　and　near　Tuskegee。　I　think　I　never　saw　a　community　of　people　so　happy　over　anything　as　were　the　coloured　people　over　the　prospect　of　this　new　building。　One　day；　when　we　were　holding　a　meeting　to　secure　funds　for　its　erection；　an　old；　ante…bellum　coloured　man　came　a　distance　of　twelve　miles　and　brought　in　his　ox…cart　a　large　hog。　When　the　meeting　was　in　progress；　he　rose　in　the　midst　of　the　company　and　said　that　he　had　no　money　which　he　could　give；　but　he　had　raised　two　fine　hogs；　and　that　he　had　brought　one　of　them　as　a　contribution　toward　the　expenses　of　the　building。　He　closed　his　announcement　by　saying：　〃Any　nigger　that's　got　any　love　for　his　race；　or　any　respect　for　himself；　will　bring　a　hog　to　the　next　meeting。〃　Quite　a　number　of　men　in　the　community　also　volunteered　to　give　several　days'　work；　each；　toward　the　erection　of　the　building。

After　we　had　secured　all　the　help　that　we　could　in　Tuskegee；　Miss　Davidson　decided　to　go　North　for　the　purpose　of　securing　additional　funds。　For　weeks　she　visited　individuals　and　spoke　in　churches　and　before　Sunday　schools　and　other　organizations。　She　found　this　work　quite　trying；　and　often　embarrassing。　The　school　was　not　known；　but　she　was　not　long　in　winning　her　way　into　the　confidence　of　the　best　people　in　the　North。

The　first　gift　from　any　Northern　person　was　received　from　a　New　York　lady　whom　Miss　Davidson　met　on　the　boat　that　was　bringing　her　North。　They　fell　into　a　conversation；　and　the　Northern　lady　became　so　much　interested　in　the　effort　being　made　at　Tuskegee　that　before　they　parted　Miss　Davidson　was　handed　a　check　for　fifty　dollars。　For　some　time　before　our　marriage；　and　also　after　it；　Miss　Davidson　kept　up　the　work　of　securing　money　in　the　North　and　in　the　South　by　interesting　people　by　personal　visits　and　through　correspondence。　At　the　same　time　she　kept　in　close　touch　with　the　work　at　Tuskegee；　as　lady　principal　and　classroom　teacher。　In　addition　to　this；　she　worked　among　the　older　people　in　and　near　Tuskegee；　and　taught　a　Sunday　school　class　in　the　town。　She　was　never　very　strong；　but　never　seemed　happy　unless　she　was　giving　all　of　her　strength　to　the　cause　which　she　loved。　Often；　at　night；　after　spending　the　day　in　going