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ro families。 Such a student will come back with a minute report of the way in which the family that he has seen lives； what their earnings are； what they do well and what they do ill； and he will explain how they might live better。 He constructs a definite plan for the betterment of that particular family out of the resources that they have。 Such a student； if he be bright； will profit more by an experience like this than he could profit by all the books on sociology and economics that ever were written。 I talked with a boy at Tuskegee who had made such a study as this； and I could not keep from contrasting his knowledge and enthusiasm with what I heard in a class room at a Negro university in one of the Southern cities； which is conducted on the idea that a college course will save the soul。 Here the class was reciting a lesson from an abstruse text…book on economics； reciting it by rote； with so obvious a failure to assimilate it that the waste of labour was pitiful。
I asked Mr。 Washington years ago what he regarded as the most important result of his work； and he replied：
〃I do not know which to put first； the effect of Tuskegee's work on the Negro； or the effect on the attitude of the white man to the Negro。〃
The race divergence under the system of miseducation was fast getting wider。 Under the influence of the Hampton…Tuskegee idea the races are coming into a closer sympathy and into an honourable and helpful relation。 As the Negro becomes economically independent； he becomes a responsible part of the Southern life； and the whites so recognize him。 And this must be so from the nature of things。 There is nothing artificial about it。 It is development in a perfectly natural way。 And the Southern whites not only so recognize it； but they are imitating it in the teaching of the neglected masses of their own race。 It has thus come about that the school is taking a more direct and helpful hold on life in the South than anywhere else in the country。 Education is not a thing apart from lifenot a 〃system；〃 nor a philosophy； it is direct teaching how to live and how to work。
To say that Mr。 Washington has won the gratitude of all thoughtful Southern white men； is to say that he has worked with the highest practical wisdom at a large constructive task； for no plan for the up…building of the freedman could succeed that ran counter to Southern opinion。 To win the support of Southern opinion and to shape it was a necessary part of the task； and in this he has so well succeeded that the South has a sincere and high regard for him。 He once said to me that he recalled the day； and remembered it thankfully； when he grew large enough to regard a Southern white man as he regarded a Northern one。 It is well for our common country that the day is come when he and his work are regarded as highly in the South as in any other part of the Union。 I think that no man of our generation has a more noteworthy achievement to his credit than this； and it is an achievement of moral earnestness of the strong character of a man who has done a great national service。
Walter H。 Page。
UP FROM SLAVERY
Chapter I。 A Slave Among Slaves
I was born a slave on a plantation in Franklin County； Virginia。 I am not quite sure of the exact place or exact date of my birth； but at any rate I suspect I must have been born somewhere and at some time。 As nearly as I have been able to learn； I was born near a cross…roads post…office called Hale's Ford； and the year was 1858 or 1859。 I do not know the month or the day。 The earliest impressions I can now recall are of the plantation and the slave quartersthe latter being the part of the plantation where the slaves had their cabins。
My life had its beginning in the midst of the most miserable； desolate； and discouraging surroundings。 This was so； however； not because my owners were especially cruel； for they were not； as compared with many others。 I was born in a typical log cabin； about fourteen by sixteen feet square。 In this cabin I lived with my mother and a brother and sister till after the Civil War； when we were all declared free。
Of my ancestry I know almost nothing。 In the slave quarters； and even later； I heard whispered conversations among the coloured people of the tortures which the slaves； including； no doubt； my ancestors on my mother's side； suffered in the middle passage of the slave ship while being conveyed from Africa to America。 I have been unsuccessful in securing any information that would throw any accurate light upon the history of my family beyond my mother。 She； I remember； had a half…brother and a half…sister。 In the days of slavery not very much attention was given to family history and family recordsthat is； black family records。 My mother； I suppose； attracted the attention of a purchaser who was afterward my owner and hers。 Her addition to the slave family attracted about as much attention as the purchase of a new horse or cow。 Of my father I know even less than of my mother。 I do not even know his name。 I have heard reports to the effect that he was a white man who lived on one of the near…by plantations。 Whoever he was； I never heard of his taking the least interest in me or providing in any way for my rearing。 But I do not find especial fault with him。 He was simply another unfortunate victim of the institution which the Nation unhappily had engrafted upon it at that time。
The cabin was not only our living…place； but was also used as the kitchen for the plantation。 My mother was the plantation cook。 The cabin was without glass windows； it had only openings in the side which let in the light； and also the cold； chilly air of winter。 There was a door to the cabinthat is； something that was called a doorbut the uncertain hinges by which it was hung； and the large cracks in it； to say nothing of the fact that it was too small； made the room a very uncomfortable one。 In addition to these openings there was； in the lower right…hand corner of the room； the 〃cat…hole；〃 a contrivance which almost every mansion or cabin in Virginia possessed during the ante…bellum period。 The 〃cat…hole〃 was a square opening； about seven by eight inches； provided for the purpose of letting the cat pass in and out of the house at will during the night。 In the case of our particular cabin I could never understand the necessity for this convenience； since there were at least a half…dozen other places in the cabin that would have accommodated the cats。 There was no wooden floor in our cabin； the naked earth being used as a floor。 In the centre of the earthen floor there was a large； deep opening covered with boards； which was used as a place in which to store sweet potatoes during the winter。 An impression of this potato…hole is very distinctly engraved upon my memory； because I recall that during the process of putting the potatoes in or taking them out I would often come into possession of one or two； which I roasted and thoroughly enjoyed。 There was no cooking…stove on our plantation； and all the cooking for the whites and slaves my mother had to do over an open fireplace； mostly in pots and 〃skillets。〃 While the poorly built cabin caused us to suffer with cold in the winter； the heat from th