there was a rough blackboard.  I recall that one day I went into a schoolhouse—­or rather into an abandoned log cabin that was being used as a schoolhouse—­and found five pupils who were studying a lesson from one book.  Two of these, on the front seat, were using the book between them; behind these were two others peeping over the shoulders of the first two, and behind the four was a fifth little fellow who was peeping over the shoulders of all four.

What I have said concerning the character of the schoolhouses and teachers will also apply quite accurately as a description of the church buildings and the ministers.

I met some very interesting characters during my travels.  As illustrating the peculiar mental processes of the country people, I remember that I asked one coloured man, who was about sixty years old, to tell me something of his history.  He said that he had been born in Virginia, and sold into Alabama in 1845.  I asked him how many were sold at the same time.  He said, “There were five of us; myself and brother and three mules.”

In giving all these descriptions of what I saw during my mouth of travel in the country around Tuskegee, I wish my readers to keep in mind the fact that there were many encouraging exceptions to the conditions which I have described.  I have stated in such plain words what I saw, mainly for the reason that later I want to emphasize the encouraging changes that have taken place in the community, not wholly by the work of the Tuskegee school, but by that of other institutions as well.

Chapter VIII.  Teaching School In A Stable And A Hen-House

I confess that what I saw during my month of travel and investigation left me with a very heavy heart.  The work to be done in order to lift these people up seemed almost beyond accomplishing.  I was only one person, and it seemed to me that the little effort which I could put forth could go such a short distance toward bringing about results.  I wondered if I could accomplish anything, and if it were worth while for me to try.

Of one thing I felt more strongly convinced than ever, after spending this month in seeing the actual life of the coloured people, and that was that, in order to lift them up, something must be done more than merely to imitate New England education as it then existed.  I saw more clearly than ever the wisdom of the system which General Armstrong had inaugurated at Hampton.  To take the children of such people as I had been among for a month, and each day give them a few hours of mere book education, I felt would be almost a waste of time.