Kitabı oku: «The American Missionary. Volume 48, No. 10, October, 1894», sayfa 4

CAPPAHOSIC'S SIXTH COMMENCEMENT

BY DEACON SAMUEL HOLMES

May 31st was a proud day for Gloucester County, Va., for not only was Hon. Frederick Douglass to give the annual address, but the new dormitory called "Douglass Hall" was to be used for the first time. With only the roof on and but partially covered, still the lower story had been temporarily floored and seated so that a thousand persons could be accommodated. Although the previous twenty-four hours had been dark and rainy the crowd had been gathering all the time—many of whom accompanied the Holly Grove Brass Band in early morning to escort Mr. Douglass and other visitors from the river to the school building.

After breakfast the school went on with its regular forenoon work, interesting the visitors, who also inspected the barn, the workshops and farm. By noon the campus and vicinity was a wonderful sight, while the outskirts reminded one of an old-fashioned general training in Connecticut, with its booths and tables. An official count of teams on the campus as reported to me was, 357 horse, 7 mule teams, and 1 ox team. Many of these had driven fifty or sixty miles, and generally carrying the fodder behind or tied under the wagons. There were from 1,500 to 2,000 people on the grounds and vicinity.

At 1:30 p.m., after a well prepared lunch for the trustees and invited guests, they were escorted by the school, headed by the band, to the new hall, which was soon filled to its utmost capacity. With excellent music by the school and band, followed by prayer, came not the least important part of the programme, the collection and pledges towards completing the building. Including the admission fee of twenty-five cents from outsiders, the money raised was over three hundred dollars, besides over eight hundred dollars in good pledges, of which two hundred and fifty dollars were from Mr. Douglass and his relatives present. Then followed an address on "Self Help," by a young man graduate, and another by a young woman on "A New Picture," contrasting the present surroundings with the time when she first entered the school in its beginnings under Mr. Weaver, in a small log-house with one door and two windows. These addresses would have done credit to many older institutions.

Mr. Douglass then followed with his incomparable lecture on "Self-Made Men." One could but feel in seeing his magnificent physique and his manly bearing as he proceeded, that he was a most notable example of his subject, while to report his lecture, with its impromptu sallies of wit and wisdom, would be almost impossible. He instanced many men as illustrations and especially interested his audience with stories of personal interviews with Lincoln, Seward, Greeley, Stanton, Grant and others during and after the war.

But most thrilling was the story of a slave boy and his following him from his early years, his learning to read and write, his conversion and desire to become a preacher, praying for three or four years, every morning, noon and night, that God would set him free, and how that his prayers were not answered till he prayed with his heels. At about seventeen years he ran away, reaching Massachusetts, where he publicly told his story, till, hearing that the slave catchers were after him, he fled to England, where he lectured till his English friends purchased him from his late master for $750, when he returned to his native land and worked in the anti-slavery cause till by the war every bondman was free. He has since served his country as U.S. Minister to Hayti, U.S. Marshal at Washington, and in other positions of trust, and also tried to serve his race to the best of his ability. It needed not that he should further identify himself, but if so he could do it by the scars on his back and the "bill of sale" of himself in his pocket.

Mr. Douglass believed most heartily in Cappahosic, and has two very efficient granddaughters there, one at the head of the culinary department, and the other as teacher.

Short addresses followed by Rev, Mr. Spiller, of Hampton, Va., Mr. Lewis Douglass, and the editor of the Afro-American, Rev. M. Alexander, of Baltimore, Md. The writer told of, and is glad here to bear witness to, the noble, self-denying labors of Mr. and Mrs. Weaver and their corps of teachers and scholars during these struggling years, as also to the growing and earnest help of the people around them in sustaining the school to so large a degree. They appreciate most highly the fostering care and help of this Association, and hope that within a few years they may be able to take the entire pecuniary burdens upon themselves.

Mr. Holmes told of the breaking of the ground for the new building last winter, under very trying difficulties, with little to draw upon but their oft-proved Bank of Faith and Prayer, and of Mr. Weaver's coming North for help, and his return, telling his wife he hardly ever felt so discouraged. She handed him a letter which came in his absence. On opening it, he exclaimed, "Bless the Lord! here is a check for $250." Reading the letter, he shouted, "Praise the Lord! it is $2,500," and he has been praising Him ever since and praying for more, for he needs about twice as much to complete and furnish the building, which is 70x46 feet, and three stories high.

The people of Gloucester and adjacent counties have taken about a dozen rooms to finish and furnish at a cost of $50 to $100 each, and yet there will be many more wanted by the boys for the coming winter. All the work, including the plans and supervision, has been done by colored men, assisted quite largely by the boys of the school. Who will supplement the magnificent gift of Mrs. Powers of Philadelphia by small or large amounts?

A PRAYERFUL AND INDUSTRIOUS FAMILY

One of our deacons is the father and grandfather of a large number of people among whom he lives, and by whom he is greatly honored. He and his aged wife, who is good as can be, like himself, toil for their living all the week, and walk six miles Sunday morning to church. Sometimes she fails, for she is not quite so strong as her husband, but he is seldom absent. One of his sons-in-law, who has himself a son in Talladega College, is the most prompt and regular attendant the church has, and he comes the same six miles. These are not only faithful in church attendance, but are also to be counted among the truest of upright, honest, pure, industrious people.

Between twenty and twenty-five years ago, when they did not have homes of their own, they rented of a man, who, like Shylock, would hold them close to their bargain. One year the "destroyer" came, and crops were short everywhere. When the day was at hand for the landlord to come with his wagons for his share of the crop, they were greatly distressed. Acting upon the advice of a Christian woman, who was among them as their first teacher, they observed a day of rigid fasting and earnest prayer. "They were heard in that they feared." The dreaded day arrived; the man came with his wagons. In fear and trembling they turned everything over to him, but to their surprise he kindly said that he knew it had been a bad year. His crops, also, had been ruined. He loaded up a little, but left them enough for seed another year, and something to live on besides, and drove most of his wagons home empty.

For twenty-one or twenty-two years on the anniversary of that fast day all work has stopped, and a fast as rigid as the first, with special religious services, has been kept, and on June 21st a day of thanksgiving. On the first, which is in February, they ask for God's special blessing on the seed about to be planted, and on the work of their hands for the year, and on the day in June they praise the Lord for what prosperity they have enjoyed in the past. It was my privilege to attend both of these anniversaries this year. I found the people earnest, intelligent and strictly moral. These people appreciate the American Missionary Association and her work in their behalf. It would be long before they could themselves sustain such institutions as the Association has placed among them, but they are disposed to do so as rapidly as they become able.

A VISIT TO UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

BY J.W. HOLLOWAY, OF TURIN, GA

(Graduate of Class of 1894, Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.)

 
On a hillside near a turnpike,
Just a mile or so from town,
In a double room log-cabin,
Lives a hero of renown.
There beneath a shady maple,
Summer evenings warm and fair,
You may find my swarthy hero
Calmly smoking, in his chair.
 
 
You've heard of Uncle Tom, most likely,
And his old log-cabin, too;
But for fear you've nothing recent,
I proceed to enlighten you.
"Ah!" say you, "I've heard the story
As it's told by Mrs. Stowe,
That old man is dead and buried,
Must be years and years ago."
 
 
Prithee, check your swift conclusion,
What you say can scarce be so,
For I know that this one's living
That I saw two hours ago.
Old and gray, and slightly stooping,
Black as ebony in hue,
He's a type of times departed,
Tho' he still survives the new,
 
 
Talks as if he owned a quarry,
Where they hew out slabs of gold,
Tho' to-day he gathered berries,
Which he took to town and sold.
Never was a hinder hostess
Than his old wife, Mary Ann,
And her baking is delightful
(To a very hungry man).
 
 
Thither went I in the gloaming,
For a night with Uncle Tom;
In the yard we "took it easy"
Till the supper time was come.
In a home-made crib beside him
Cooed a yearling partly dressed;
'Round his chair a dirty dozen
Whooped and yelled like all possessed.
 
 
"Lord a' mercy! Here's de teacher!
Chil'en run and fetch a chair;
'Fo' you come back dress yourselves,
An' git the keards and com' yer hair."
Sweeping over, children scattered,
Dogs and cats sent to the rear,
Uncle Tom, his pipe resuming,
Once more settled in his chair.
 
 
"I laid off to come to see ye
During o' de week dat's passed;
Must be scorin' de chil'en heavy,
Kase dey're learnin' pow'ful fast.
I believe in edication
When you teach it wid a pole;
Den you make 'im wise but humble,
Ruin his back out save his soul.
 
 
"Some folks b'lieve in pettiu' chil'en;
But I've raised enough to know,
Sho's you spare de rod you spile 'em.
Don't the Good Book tell you so?"
"Yes; but Uncle Tom," I quoted,
"Love will win where force will fail;
Men are honest made by trusting
In their honor"—"Dat's a tale;
 
 
"Never ketch me trustin' people,
Do dey're deacons in de church;
Folks dat trust in human nature
Allus git left in the lurch.
Der's some migh'y funny things put up
In dese packages called men,
And good folks do mighty bad things
Sometimes, jest bekase dey kin."
 
 
"Mr. Teacher, come to supper,"
(And the chimney piece struck nine)
"After dat we'll drive to meetin',
'Viding you are of de min'.
Tell me you are Congregationan;
First I ever heard de name;
Must be like de Presbyter'an—
Name sounds very much de same."
 
 
An the simple meal proceeded,
Quickened by the savory food,
Uncle Tom, from cynic terseness,
Fell into a happier mood.
"I was overseer in slave time,
And a mean un, so dey say,
Strapped Ma' Ann so much, ha! ha!
She married me to git away.
 
 
"In dem times we done some talkin',
But this writin' business—shaw!
I have seen de time, I tell ye,
I could talk a lady so
She would pull her fan to pieces
Barely answering 'Yes' or 'No.'"
 
 
Then I talked while he sat silent,
Gave a lecture broad and deep;
Hark! what sounds from the dim corner?
Ah! my host has fallen asleep.
Asleep! And his slumber is that of contentment,
Dreaming and smiling o'er memories fond.
Asleep! And he slumbers in ignorance blissful
Of the great busy world his cabin beyond.
 
 
How small is the light that illumines his pathway,
And his noonday how like to the darkness of night;
Yet he keeps in the beam directing his footsteps,
So must his intent be accounted for right.
I would not, I dare not, sit in Judgment upon thee,
Tho' the light on thy path be less bright than on mine,
But rather come to the fulness of duty
In my life as thou hast so well done in thine.