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y　from　the　rest　of　the　collection。　The　picture　which　they　thus　made　spoke　more　than　all　the　measurements　and　statistics　which　he　now　chattered　out　upon　me；　reading　from　his　book　as　I　contemplated　the　skulls。　There　was　a　similarity　of　shape；　a　kinship　there　between　the　three；　which　stared　you　in　the　face；　but　in　the　contours　of　vaulted　skull；　the　projecting　jaws；　and　the　great　molar　teethwhat　was　to　be　seen？　Why；　in　every　respect　that　the　African　departed　from　the　Caucasian；　he　departed　in　the　direction　of　the　ape！　Here　was　zoology　mutely　but　eloquently　telling　us　why　there　had　blossomed　no　Confucius；　no　Moses；　no　Napoleon；　upon　that　black　stem；　why　no　Iliad；　no　Parthenon；　no　Sistine　Madonna；　had　ever　risen　from　that　tropic　mud。

The　collector　touched　my　sleeve。　〃Have　you　now　learned　someding　about　skulls；　my　friend？　Will　you　invite　those　Boston　philanthropists　to　stay　home？　They　will　get　better　results　in　civilization　by　giving　votes　to　monkeys　than　teaching　Henry　Wadsworth　Longfellow　to　riggers。〃

Retaliation　rose　in　me。　〃Haven't　you　learned　to　call　them　negroes？〃　I　remarked。　But　this　was　lost　upon　the　Teuton。　I　was　tempted　to　tell　him　that　I　was　no　philanthropist；　and　no　Bostonian；　and　that　he　need　not　shout　so　loud；　but　my　more　dignified　instincts　restrained　me。　I　withdrew　my　sleeve　from　his　touch　（it　was　this　act　of　his；　I　think；　that　had　most　to　do　with　my　displeasure）；　and　merely　bidding　him　observe　that　the　enormous　price　of　the　kettle…supporter　had　been　reduced　for　me　by　his　exhibition　to　a　bagatelle；　I　left　the　shop　of　the　screaming　anatomistor　Afropath；　or　whatever　it　may　seem　most　fitting　that　he　should　be　called。

I　bore　the　kettle…supporter　with　me；　tied　up　objectionably　in　newspaper；　and　knotted　with　ungainly　string；　and　it　was　this　bundle　which　prevented　my　joining　the　girl　behind　the　counter；　and　ending　by　a　walk　with　a　young　lady　the　afternoon　that　had　begun　by　a　walk　with　two　old　ones。　I　should　have　liked　to　make　my　confession　to　her。　She　was　evidently　out　for　the　sake　of　taking　the　air；　and　had　with　her　no　companion　save　the　big　curly　white　dog；　confession　would　have　been　very　agreeable；　but　I　looked　again　at　my　ugly　newspaper　bundle；　and　turned　in　a　direction　that　she　was　not　herself　pursuing。

Twice；　as　I　went；　I　broke　into　laughter　over　my　interview　in　the　shop；　which　I　fear　has　lost　its　comical　quality　in　the　relating。　To　enter　a　door　and　come　serenely　in　among　dingy　mahogany　and　glass　objects；　to　bargain　haughtily　for　a　brass　bauble　with　the　shopkeeper；　and　to　have　a　few　exchanged　remarks　suddenly　turn　the　whole　place　into　a　sort　of　bedlam　with　a　gibbering　scientist　dashing　skulls　at　me　to　prove　his　fixed　idea；　and　myself　quite　furiousI　laughed　more　than　twice；　but；　by　the　time　I　had　approached　the　neighborhood　of　the　carpenter's　shop；　another　side　of　it　had　brought　reflection　to　my　mind。　Here　was　a　foreigner　to　whom　slavery　and　the　Lost　Cause　were　nothing；　whose　whole　association　with　the　South　had　begun　but　five　years　ago；　and　the　race　question　had　brought　his　feelings　to　this　pitch！　He　had　seen　the　Kings　Port　negro　with　the　eyes　of　the　flesh；　and　not　with　the　eyes　of　theory；　and　as　a　result　the　reddest　rag　for　him　was　pale　beside　a　Boston　philanthropist！

Nevertheless；　I　have　said　already　that　I　am　no　lover　of　superlatives；　and　in　doctrine　especially　is　this　true。　We　need　not　expect　a　Confucius　from　the　negro；　nor　yet　a　Chesterfield；　but　I　am　an　enemy　also　of　that　blind　and　base　hate　against　him；　which　conducts　nowhere　save　to　the　de…civilizing　of　white　and　black　alike。　Who　brought　him　here？　Did　he　invite　himself？　Then　let　us　make　the　best　of　it　and　teach　him；　lead　him；　compel　him　to　live　self…respecting；　not　as　statesman；　poet；　or　financier；　but　by　the　honorable　toil　of　his　hand　and　sweat　of　his　brow。　Because　〃the　door　of　hope〃　was　once　opened　too　suddenly　for　him　is　no　reason　for　slamming　it　now　forever　in　his　face。

Thus　mentally　I　lectured　back　at　the　Teuton　as　I　went　through　the　streets　of　Kings　Port；　and　after　a　while　I　turned　a　corner　which　took　me　abruptly；　as　with　one　magic　step；　out　of　the　white　man's　world　into　the　blackest　Congo。　Even　the　well…inhabited　quarter　of　Kings　Port　（and　I　had　now　come　within　this　limited　domain）　holds　narrow　lanes　and　recesses　which　teem　and　swarm　with　negroes。　As　cracks　will　run　through　fine　porcelain；　so　do　these　black　rifts　of　Africa　lurk　almost　invisible　among　the　gardens　and　the　houses。　The　picture　that　these　places　offered；　tropic；　squalid；　and　fecund；　often　caused　me　to　walk　through　them　and　watch　the　basking　population；　the　intricate；　broken　wooden　galleries；　the　rickety　outside　stair　cases；　the　red　and　yellow　splashes　of　color　on　the　clothes　lines；　the　agglomerate　rags　that　stuffed　holes　in　decaying　roofs　or　hung　nakedly　on　human　frames；　the　small；　choked　dwellings；　bursting　open　at　doors　and　windows　with　black；　round…eyed　babies　as　an　overripe　melon　bursts　with　seeds；　the　children　playing　marbles　in　the　court；　the　parents　playing　cards　in　the　room；　the　grandparents　smoking　pipes　on　the　porch；　and　the　great…grandparents　stairs　gazing　out　at　you　like　creatures　from　the　Old　Testament　or　the　jungle。　From　the　jungle　we　had　stolen　them；　North　and　South　had　stolen　them　together；　long　ago；　to　be　slaves；　not　to　be　citizens；　and　now　here　they　were；　the　fruits　of　our　theft；　and　for　some　reason　（possibly　the　Teuton　was　the　reason）　that　passage　from　the　Book　c'　Exodus　came　into　my　head：　〃For　I　the　Lord　thy　God　am　a　jealous　God；　visiting　the　iniquity　of　the　fathers　upon　the　children。〃

These　thoughts　were　interrupted　by　sounds　as　of　altercation。　I　had　nearly　reached　the　end　of　the　lane；　where　I　should　again　emerge　into　the　White　man's　world；　and　where　I　was　now　walking　the　lane　spread　into　a　broader　space　with　ells　and　angles　and　rotting　steps；　and　habitations　mostly　too　ruinous　to　be　inhabited。　It　was　from　a　sashless　window　in　one　of　these　that　the　angry　voices　came。　The　first　words　which　were　distinct　aroused　my　interest　quite　beyond　the　scale　of　an　ordinary　altercation：

〃Calls　you'self　a　reconstuckted　niggah？〃

This　was　said　sharply　and　with　prodigious　scorn。　The　answer　which　it　brought　was　lengthy　and　of　such　a　general　sullen　incoherence　that　I　could　make　out　only　a　frequent　repetition　of　〃custom　house；〃　and　that　somebody　was　going　to　take　care　of　somebody　hereafter。

Into　this　the　first　voice　broke　with　tones　of　highest　contempt　and　rapidity：

〃President　gwine　to　gib　brekfus'　an'　dinnah　an　suppah　to　de　likes　ob　you　fo'　de　whole　remaindah　oh　youh　wuthless　nat'ral　life？　Get　out　ob　my　sight；　you　reconstuckted　niggah。　I　come　out　oh　de　St。　Michael。〃

There　came　through　the　window　immediately　upon　this　sounds　of　scuffling　and　of　a　fall；　and　then　cries　for　help　which　took　me　running　into　the　dilapidated　building。　Daddy　Ben　lay　on　the　floor；　and　a　thick；　young　savage　was　kicking　him。　In　some　remarkable　way　I　thought　of　the　solidity　of　their　heads；　and　before　the　assailant　even　knew　that　he　had　a　witness；　I　sped　forward；　aiming　my　kettle…supporter；　and　with　its　sharp　brass　edge　I　dealt　him　a　crack　over　his　shin　with　astonishing　accuracy。　It　was　a　dismal　howl　that　he　gave；　and　as　he　turned　he　got　from　me　another　crack　upon　the　other　shin。　I　had　no　time　to　be　alarmed　at　my　deed；　or　I　think　that　I　should　have　been　very　much　so；　I　am　a　man　above　all　of　peace；　and　physical　encounters　are　peculiarly　abhorrent　to　me；　but；　so　far　from　assailing　me；　the　thick；　young　savage；　with　the　single　muttered　remark；　〃He　hit　me　fuss；〃　got　himself　out　of　the　house　with　the　most　agreeable　rapidity。

Daddy　Ben　sat　up；　and　his　first　inquiry　greatly　reassured　me　as　to　his　state。　He　stared　at　my　paper　bundle。　〃You　done　make　him　hollah　wid　dat；　sah！〃

I　showed　him　the　kettle…supporter　through　a　rent　in　its　wrapping；　and　I　assisted　him　to　stand　upright。　His　injuries　proved　fortunately　to　be　slight　（although　I　may　say　here　that　the　shock　to　his　ancient　body　kept　him　away　for　a　few　days　from　the　churchyard）；　and　when　I　began　to　talk　to　him　about　the　incident；　he　seemed　unwilling　to　say　much　in　answer　to　my　questions。　And　when　I　offered　to　accompany　him　to　where　he　lived；　he　declined　altogether；　assuring　me　that　it　was　close；　and　that　he　could　walk　there　as　well　as　if　nothing　had　happened　to　him；　but　upon　my　asking　him　if　I　was　on　the　right　way　to　the　carpenter's　shop；　he　looked　at　me　curiously。

〃No　use　you　gwine　dab；　sah。　Dat　shop　close　up。　He　not　wukkin；　dis　week；　and　dat　why　fo'　I　jaw　him　jus'　now　when　you　come　in　an'　stop　him。　He　de　cahpentah；　my　gran'son；　Cha's　Coteswuth。〃



XII：　From　the　Bedside

Next　morning　when　I　saw　the　weltering　sky　I　resigned　myself　to　a　day　of　dullness；　yet　before　its　end　I　had　caught　a　bright　new　glimpse　of　John　Mayrant's　abilities；　and　also　had　come；　through　tribulation；　to　a　further　understanding　of　the　South；　so　that　I　do　not；　to…day；　regret　the　tribulation。　As　the　rain　disappointed　me　of　two　outdoor　expeditions；　to　which　I　had　been　for　some　little　while　looking　forward；　I　dedicated　most　of　my　long　morning　to　a　sadly　neglected　correspondence；　and　trusted　that　the　expeditions；　as　soon　as　the　next　fine　weather　visited　Kings　Port；　would　still　be　in　store　for　me。　Not　only　everybody　in　town　here；　but　Aunt　Carola；　up　in　the　North　also；　had　assure