up from slavery-第6部分

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tled　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　learned　more　at　night　than　the　other　children　did　during　the　day。　My　own　experiences　in　the　night…school　gave　me　faith　in　the　night…school　idea；　with　which；　in　after　years；　I　had　to　do　both　at　Hampton　and　Tuskegee。　But　my　boyish　heart　was　still　set　upon　going　to　the　day…school；　and　I　let　no　opportunity　slip　to　push　my　case。　Finally　I　won；　and　was　permitted　to　go　to　the　school　in　the　day　for　a　few　months；　with　the　understanding　that　I　was　to　rise　early　in　the　morning　and　work　in　the　furnace　till　nine　o'clock；　and　return　immediately　after　school　closed　in　the　afternoon　for　at　least　two　more　hours　of　work。

The　schoolhouse　was　some　distance　from　the　furnace；　and　as　I　had　to　work　till　nine　o'clock；　and　the　school　opened　at　nine；　I　found　myself　in　a　difficulty。　School　would　always　be　begun　before　I　reached　it；　and　sometimes　my　class　had　recited。　To　get　around　this　difficulty　I　yielded　to　a　temptation　for　which　most　people；　I　suppose；　will　condemn　me；　but　since　it　is　a　fact；　I　might　as　well　state　it。　I　have　great　faith　in　the　power　and　influence　of　facts。　It　is　seldom　that　anything　is　permanently　gained　by　holding　back　a　fact。　There　was　a　large　clock　in　a　little　office　in　the　furnace。　This　clock；　of　course；　all　the　hundred　or　more　workmen　depended　upon　to　regulate　their　hours　of　beginning　and　ending　the　day's　work。　I　got　the　idea　that　the　way　for　me　to　reach　school　on　time　was　to　move　the　clock　hands　from　half…past　eight　up　to　the　nine　o'clock　mark。　This　I　found　myself　doing　morning　after　morning；　till　the　furnace　〃boss〃　discovered　that　something　was　wrong；　and　locked　the　clock　in　a　case。　I　did　not　mean　to　inconvenience　anybody。　I　simply　meant　to　reach　that　schoolhouse　in　time。

When；　however；　I　found　myself　at　the　school　for　the　first　time；　I　also　found　myself　confronted　with　two　other　difficulties。　In　the　first　place；　I　found　that　all　the　other　children　wore　hats　or　caps　on　their　heads；　and　I　had　neither　hat　nor　cap。　In　fact；　I　do　not　remember　that　up　to　the　time　of　going　to　school　I　had　ever　worn　any　kind　of　covering　upon　my　head；　nor　do　I　recall　that　either　I　or　anybody　else　had　even　thought　anything　about　the　need　of　covering　for　my　head。　But；　of　course；　when　I　saw　how　all　the　other　boys　were　dressed；　I　began　to　feel　quite　uncomfortable。　As　usual；　I　put　the　case　before　my　mother；　and　she　explained　to　me　that　she　had　no　money　with　which　to　buy　a　〃store　hat；〃　which　was　a　rather　new　institution　at　that　time　among　the　members　of　my　race　and　was　considered　quite　the　thing　for　young　and　old　to　own；　but　that　she　would　find　a　way　to　help　me　out　of　the　difficulty。　She　accordingly　got　two　pieces　of　〃homespun〃　（jeans）　and　sewed　them　together；　and　I　was　soon　the　proud　possessor　of　my　first　cap。

The　lesson　that　my　mother　taught　me　in　this　has　always　remained　with　me；　and　I　have　tried　as　best　as　I　could　to　teach　it　to　others。　I　have　always　felt　proud；　whenever　I　think　of　the　incident；　that　my　mother　had　strength　of　character　enough　not　to　be　led　into　the　temptation　of　seeming　to　be　that　which　she　was　notof　trying　to　impress　my　schoolmates　and　others　with　the　fact　that　she　was　able　to　buy　me　a　〃store　hat〃　when　she　was　not。　I　have　always　felt　proud　that　she　refused　to　go　into　debt　for　that　which　she　did　not　have　the　money　to　pay　for。　Since　that　time　I　have　owned　many　kinds　of　caps　and　hats；　but　never　one　of　which　I　have　felt　so　proud　as　of　the　cap　made　of　the　two　pieces　of　cloth　sewed　together　by　my　mother。　I　have　noted　the　fact；　but　without　satisfaction；　I　need　not　add；　that　several　of　the　boys　who　began　their　careers　with　〃store　hats〃　and　who　were　my　schoolmates　and　used　to　join　in　the　sport　that　was　made　of　me　because　I　had　only　a　〃homespun〃　cap；　have　ended　their　careers　in　the　penitentiary；　while　others　are　not　able　now　to　buy　any　kind　of　hat。

My　second　difficulty　was　with　regard　to　my　name；　or　rather　A　name。　From　the　time　when　I　could　remember　anything；　I　had　been　called　simply　〃Booker。〃　Before　going　to　school　it　had　never　occurred　to　me　that　it　was　needful　or　appropriate　to　have　an　additional　name。　When　I　heard　the　schoolroll　called；　I　noticed　that　all　of　the　children　had　at　least　two　names；　and　some　of　them　indulged　in　what　seemed　to　me　the　extravagance　of　having　three。　I　was　in　deep　perplexity；　because　I　knew　that　the　teacher　would　demand　of　me　at　least　two　names；　and　I　had　only　one。　By　the　time　the　occasion　came　for　the　enrolling　of　my　name；　an　idea　occurred　to　me　which　I　thought　would　make　me　equal　to　the　situation；　and　so；　when　the　teacher　asked　me　what　my　full　name　was；　I　calmly　told　him　〃Booker　Washington；〃　as　if　I　had　been　called　by　that　name　all　my　life；　and　by　that　name　I　have　since　been　known。　Later　in　my　life　I　found　that　my　mother　had　given　me　the　name　of　〃Booker　Taliaferro〃　soon　after　I　was　born；　but　in　some　way　that　part　of　my　name　seemed　to　disappear　and　for　a　long　while　was　forgotten；　but　as　soon　as　I　found　out　about　it　I　revived　it；　and　made　my　full　name　〃Booker　Taliaferro　Washington。〃　I　think　there　are　not　many　men　in　our　country　who　have　had　the　privilege　of　naming　themselves　in　the　way　that　I　have。

Mor