up from slavery-第8节

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couraging　the　days　might　be；　when　one　resolve　did　not　continually　remain　with　me；　and　that　was　a　determination　to　secure　an　education　at　any　cost。

Soon　after　we　moved　to　West　Virginia；　my　mother　adopted　into　our　family；　notwithstanding　our　poverty；　an　orphan　boy；　to　whom　afterward　we　gave　the　name　of　James　B。　Washington。　He　has　ever　since　remained　a　member　of　the　family。

After　I　had　worked　in　the　salt…furnace　for　some　time；　work　was　secured　for　me　in　a　coal…mine　which　was　operated　mainly　for　the　purpose　of　securing　fuel　for　the　salt…furnace。　Work　in　the　coal…mine　I　always　dreaded。　One　reason　for　this　was　that　any　one　who　worked　in　a　coal…mine　was　always　unclean；　at　least　while　at　work；　and　it　was　a　very　hard　job　to　get　one's　skin　clean　after　the　day's　work　was　over。　Then　it　was　fully　a　mile　from　the　opening　of　the　coal…mine　to　the　face　of　the　coal；　and　all；　of　course；　was　in　the　blackest　darkness。　I　do　not　believe　that　one　ever　experiences　anywhere　else　such　darkness　as　he　does　in　a　coal…mine。　The　mine　was　divided　into　a　large　number　of　different　〃rooms〃　or　departments；　and；　as　I　never　was　able　to　learn　the　location　of　all　these　〃rooms；〃　I　many　times　found　myself　lost　in　the　mine。　To　add　to　the　horror　of　being　lost；　sometimes　my　light　would　go　out；　and　then；　if　I　did　not　happen　to　have　a　match；　I　would　wander　about　in　the　darkness　until　by　chance　I　found　some　one　to　give　me　a　light。　The　work　was　not　only　hard；　but　it　was　dangerous。　There　was　always　the　danger　of　being　blown　to　pieces　by　a　premature　explosion　of　powder；　or　of　being　crushed　by　falling　slate。　Accidents　from　one　or　the　other　of　these　causes　were　frequently　occurring；　and　this　kept　me　in　constant　fear。　Many　children　of　the　tenderest　years　were　compelled　then；　as　is　now　true　I　fear；　in　most　coal…mining　districts；　to　spend　a　large　part　of　their　lives　in　these　coal…mines；　with　little　opportunity　to　get　an　education；　and；　what　is　worse；　I　have　often　noted　that；　as　a　rule；　young　boys　who　begin　life　in　a　coal…mine　are　often　physically　and　mentally　dwarfed。　They　soon　lose　ambition　to　do　anything　else　than　to　continue　as　a　coal…miner。

In　those　days；　and　later　as　a　young　man；　I　used　to　try　to　picture　in　my　imagination　the　feelings　and　ambitions　of　a　white　boy　with　absolutely　no　limit　placed　upon　his　aspirations　and　activities。　I　used　to　envy　the　white　boy　who　had　no　obstacles　placed　in　the　way　of　his　becoming　a　Congressman；　Governor；　Bishop；　or　President　by　reason　of　the　accident　of　his　birth　or　race。　I　used　to　picture　the　way　that　I　would　act　under　such　circumstances；　how　I　would　begin　at　the　bottom　and　keep　rising　until　I　reached　the　highest　round　of　success。

In　later　years；　I　confess　that　I　do　not　envy　the　white　boy　as　I　once　did。　I　have　learned　that　success　is　to　be　measured　not　so　much　by　the　position　that　one　has　reached　in　life　as　by　the　obstacles　which　he　has　overcome　while　trying　to　succeed。　Looked　at　from　this　standpoint；　I　almost　reached　the　conclusion　that　often　the　Negro　boy's　birth　and　connection　with　an　unpopular　race　is　an　advantage；　so　far　as　real　life　is　concerned。　With　few　exceptions；　the　Negro　youth　must　work　harder　and　must　perform　his　tasks　even　better　than　a　white　youth　in　order　to　secure　recognition。　But　out　of　the　hard　and　unusual　struggle　through　which　he　is　compelled　to　pass；　he　gets　a　strength；　a　confidence；　that　one　misses　whose　pathway　is　comparatively　smooth　by　reason　of　birth　and　race。

From　any　point　of　view；　I　had　rather　be　what　I　am；　a　member　of　the　Negro　race；　than　be　able　to　claim　membership　with　the　most　favoured　of　any　other　race。　I　have　always　been　made　sad　when　I　have　heard　members　of　any　race　claiming　rights　or　privileges；　or　certain　badges　of　distinction；　on　the　ground　simply　that　they　were　members　of　this　or　that　race；　regardless　of　their　own　individual　worth　or　attainments。　I　have　been　made　to　feel　sad　for　such　persons　because　I　am　conscious　of　the　fact　that　mere　connection　with　what　is　known　as　a　superior　race　will　not　permanently　carry　an　individual　forward　unless　he　has　individual　worth；　and　mere　connection　with　what　is　regarded　as　an　inferior　race　will　not　finally　hold　an　individual　back　if　he　possesses　intrinsic；　individual　merit。　Every　persecuted　individual　and　race　should　get　much　consolation　out　of　the　great　human　law；　which　is　universal　and　eternal；　that　merit；　no　matter　under　what　skin　found；　is；　in　the　long　run；　recognized　and　rewarded。　This　I　have　said　here；　not　to　call　attention　to　myself　as　an　individual；　but　to　the　race　to　which　I　am　proud　to　belong。



Chapter　III。　The　Struggle　For　An　Education

One　day；　while　at　work　in　the　coal…mine；　I　happened　to　overhear　two　miners　talking　about　a　great　school　for　coloured　people　somewhere　in　Virginia。　This　was　the　first　time　that　I　had　ever　heard　anything　about　any　kind　of　school　or　college　that　was　more　pretentious　than　the　little　coloured　school　in　our　town。

In　the　darkness　of　the　mine　I　noiselessly　crept　as　close　as　I　could　to　the　two　men　who　were　talking。　I　heard　one　tell　the　other　that　not　only　was　the　school　established　for　the　members　of　any　race；　but　the　opportunities　that　it　provided　by　which　poor　but　worthy　students　could　work　out　all　or　a　part　of　the　cost　of　a　board；　and　at　the　same　time　be　taught　some　trade　or　industry。

As　they　went　on　describing　the　school；　it　seemed　to　me　that　it　must　be　the　greatest　place　on　earth；　and　not　even　Heaven　presented　more　attractions　for　me　at　that　time　than　did　the　Hampton　Normal　and　Agricultural　Institute　in　Virginia；　about　which　these　men　were　talking。　I　resolved　at　once　to　go　to　that　school；　although　I　had　no　idea　where　it　was；　or　how　many　miles　away；　or　how　I　was　going　to　reach　it；　I　remembered　only　that　I　was　on　fire　constantly　with　one　ambition；　and　that　was　to　go　to　Hampton。　This　thought　was　with　me　day　and　night。

After　hearing　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　I　continued　to　work　for　a　few　months　longer　in　the　coal…mine。　While　at　work　there；　I　heard　of　a　vacant　position　in　the　household　of　General　Lewis　Ruffner；　the　owner　of　the　salt…furnace　and　coal…mine。　Mrs。　Viola　Ruffner；　the　wife　of　General　Ruffner；　was　a　〃Yankee〃　woman　from　Vermont。　Mrs。　Ruffner　had　a　reputation　all　through　the　vicinity　for　being　very　strict　with　her　servants；　and　especially　with　the　boys　who　tried　to　serve　her。　Few　of　them　remained　with　her　more　than　two　or　three　weeks。　They　all　left　with　the　same　excuse：　she　was　too　strict。　I　decided；　however；　that　I　would　rather　try　Mrs。　Ruffner's　house　than　remain　in　the　coal…mine；　and　so　my　mother　applied　to　her　for　the　vacant　position。　I　was　hired　at　a　salary　of　5　per　month。

I　had　heard　so　much　about　Mrs。　Ruffner's　severity　that　I　was　almost　afraid　to　see　her；　and　trembled　when　I　went　into　her　presence。　I　had　not　lived　with　her　many　weeks；　however；　before　I　began　to　understand　her。　I　soon　began　to　learn　that；　first　of　all；　she　wanted　everything　kept　clean　about　her；　that　she　wanted　things　done　promptly　and　systematically；　and　that　at　the　bottom　of　everything　she　wanted　absolute　honesty　and　frankness。　Nothing　must　be　sloven　or　slipshod；　every　door；　every　fence；　must　be　kept　in　repair。

I　cannot　now　recall　how　long　I　lived　with　Mrs。　Ruffner　before　going　to　Hampton；　but　I　think　it　must　have　been　a　year　and　a　half。　At　any　rate；　I　here　repeat　what　I　have　said　more　than　once　before；　that　the　lessons　that　I　learned　in　the　home　of　Mrs。　Ruffner　were　as　valuable　to　me　as　any　education　I　have　ever　gotten　anywhere　else。　Even　to　this　day　I　never　see　bits　of　paper　scattered　around　a　house　or　in　the　street　that　I　do　not　want　to　pick　them　up　at　once。　I　never　see　a　filthy　yard　that　I　do　not　want　to　clean　it；　a　paling　off　of　a　fence　that　I　do　not　want　to　put　it　on；　an　unpainted　or　unwhitewashed　house　that　I　do　not　want　to　pain　or　whitewash　it；　or　a　button　off　one's　clothes；　or　a　grease…spot　on　them　or　on　a　floor；　that　I　do　not　want　to　call　attention　to　it。

From　fearing　Mrs。　Ruffner　I　soon　learned　to　look　upon　her　as　one　of　my　best　friends。　When　she　found　that　she　could　trust　me　she　did　so　implicitly。　During　the　one　or　two　winters　that　I　was　with　her　she　gave　me　an　opportunity　to　go　to　school　for　an　hour　in　the　day　during　a　portion　of　the　winter　months；　but　most　of　my　studying　was　done　at　night；　sometimes　alone；　sometimes　under　some　one　whom　I　could　hire　to　teach　me。　Mrs。　Ruffner　always　encouraged　and　sympathized　with　me　in　all　my　efforts　to　get　an　education。　It　was　while　living　with　her　that　I　began　to　get　together　my　first　library。　I　secured　a　dry…goods　box；　knocked　out　one　side　of　it；　put　some　shelves　in　it；　and　began　putting　into　it　every　kind　of　book　that　I　could　get　my　hands　upon；　and　called　it　my　〃library。〃

Notwithstanding　my　success　at　Mrs。　Ruffner's　I　did　not　give　up　the　idea　of　going　to　the　Hampton　Institute。　In　the　fall　of　1872　I　determined　to　make　an　effort　to　get　there；　although；　as　I　have　stated；　I　had　no　definite　idea　of　the　direction　in　which　Hampton　was；　or　of　what　it　would　cost　to　go　there。　I　do　not　think　that　any　one　thoroughly　sympathized　with　me　in　my　ambition　to　go　to　Hampton　unless　it　was　my　mother；　and　she　was　troubled　with　a　grave　fear　that　I　was　starting　out　on　a　〃wild…goose　chase。〃　At　any　rate；　I　got　only　a　half…hearted　consent　from　her　that　I　might　start。　The　small　amount　of　money　th