lady baltimore-第22部分

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heard　enough　about　the　difference　between　the　old　and　new　generations　of　the　negro　of　Kings　Port　to　believe　it　to　be　true；　and　I　had　come　to　discern　how　evidently　it　lay　at　the　bottom　of　many　things　here：　John　Mayrant　and　his　kind　were　a　band　united　by　a　number　of　strong　ties；　but　by　nothing　so　much　as　by　their　hatred　of　the　modern　negro　in　their　town。　Yes；　I　was　obliged　to　believe　that　the　young　Kings　Port　African　left　to　freedom　and　the　ballot；　was　a　worse　African　than　his　slave　parents；　but　this　afternoon　brought　me　a　taste　of　it　more　pungent　than　all　the　assurances　in　the　world。

I　bought　my　kettle…supporter；　and　learned　from　the　robber　who　sold　it　to　me　（Kings　Port　prices　for　〃old　things〃　are　the　most　exorbitant　that　I　know　anywhere）　that　a　carpenter　lived　not　far　from　Mrs。　Trevise's　boarding…house；　and　that　he　would　make　for　me　the　box　in　which　I　could　pack　my　various　purchases。

〃That　is；　if　he's　working　this　week；〃　added　the　robber。

〃What　else　would　he　be　doing？〃

〃It　may　be　his　week　for　getting　drunk　on　what　he　earned　the　week　before。〃　And　upon　this　he　announced　with　as　much　bitterness　as　if　he　had　been　John　Mayrant　or　any　of　his　aunts；　〃That's　what　Boston　philanthropy　has　done　for　him。〃

I　dared　up　at　this。　〃I　suppose　that's　a　Southern　argument　for　reestablishing　slavery。〃

〃I　am　not　Southern；　Breslau　is　my　native　town；　and　I　came　from　New　York　here　to　live　five　years　ago。　I've　seen　what　your　emancipation　has　done　for　the　black；　and　I　say　to　you；　my　friend；　honest　I　don't　know　a　fool　from　a　philanthropist　any　longer。

He　had　much　right　upon　his　side；　and　it　can　be　seen　daily　that　philanthropy　does　not　always　walk　hand…in…hand　with　wisdom。　Does　anything　or　anybody　always　walk　so？　Moreover；　I　am　a　friend　to　not　many　superlatives；　and　have　perceived　no　saying　to　be　more　true　than　the　one　that　extremes　meet：　they　meet　indeed；　and　folly　is　their　meeting…place。　Nor　could　I　say　in　the　case　of　the　negro　which　folly　were　the　more　ridiculous；that　which　expects　a　race　which　has　lived　no　one　knows　how　many　thousand　years　in　mental　nakedness　while　Confucius；　Moses；　and　Napoleon　were　flowering　upon　adjacent　human　stems；　should　put　on　suddenly　the　white　man's　intelligence；　or　that　other　folly　which　declares　we　can　do　nothing　for　the　African；　as　if　Hampton　had　not　already　wrought　excellent　things　for　him。　I　had　no　mind　to　enter　into　all　the　inextricable　error　with　this　Teuton；　and　it　was　he　who　continued：

〃Oh；　these　Boston　philanthropists；　oh；　these　know…it…alls！　Why　don't　they　stay　home？　Why　do　they　come　down　here　to　worry　us　with　their　ignorance？　See　here；　my　friend；　let　me　show　you！

He　rushed　about　his　shop　in　a　search　of　distraught　eagerness；　and　with　a　multitude　of　small　exclamations；　until；　screeching　jubilantly　once；　he　pounced　upon　a　shabby　and　learned…looking　volume。　This　he　brought　me；　thrusting　it　with　his　trembling　fingers　between　my　own；　and　shuffling　the　open　pages。　But　when　the　apparently　right　one　was　found；　he　exclaimed；　〃No；　I　have　better！　and　dashed　away　to　a　pile　of　pamphlets　on　the　floor；　where　he　began　to　plough　and　harrow。　Wondering　if　I　was　closeted　with　a　maniac；　I　looked　at　the　book　in　my　passive　hand；　and　saw　diagrams　of　various　bones　to　me　unknown；　and　men's　names　of　which　I　was　equally　ignorantMivart；　Topinard；　and　more；but　at　last　that　of　Huxley。　But　this　agreeable　sight　was　spoiled　at　once　by　the　quite　horrible　words　Nycticebidoe；　platyrrhine；　catarrhine；　from　which　I　raised　my　eyes　to　see　him　coming　at　me　with　two　pamphlets；　and　scolding　as　he　came。

〃Are　you　educated；　yes？　Have　been　to　college；　yes？　Then　perhaps　you　will　understand。〃

Certainly　I　understood　immediately　that　he　and　his　pamphlets　were　as　bad　as　the　book；　or　worse；　in　their　use　of　a　vocabulary　designed　to　cause　almost　any　listener　the　gravest　inconvenience。　Common　Eocene　ancestors　occurred　at　the　beginning　of　his　lecture；　and　I　believed　that　if　it　got　no　stronger　than　this；　I　could　at　least　preserve　the　appearance　of　comprehending　him；　but　it　got　stronger；　and　at　sacro…iliac　notch　I　may　say；　without　using　any　grossly　exaggerated　expression；　that　I　became　unconscious。　At　least；　all　intelligence　left　me。　When　it　returned；　he　was　saying。

〃But　this　is　only　the　beginning。　Come　in　here　to　my　crania　and　jaws。〃

Evidently　he　held　me　hypnotized；　for　he　now　hurried　me　unresisting　through　a　back　door　into　a　dark　little　where　he　turned　up　the　gas；　and　I　saw　shelves　as　in　a　museum；　to　one　of　which　he　led　me。　I　suppose　that　it　was　curiosity　that　rendered　me　thus　sheep…like。　Upon　the　shelf　were　a　number　of　skulls　and　jaws　in　admirable　condition　and　graded　arrangement；　beginning　to　the　left　with　that　flat　kind　of　skull　which　one　associates　with　gorillas。　He　resumed　his　scolding　harangue；　and　for　a　few　brief　moments　I　understood　him。　Here；　told　by　themselves；　was　as　much　of　the　story　of　the　skulls　as　we　know；　from　manlike　apes　through　glacial　man　to　the　modern　senator　or　railroad　president。　But　my　intelligence　was　destined　soon　to　die　away　again。

〃That　is　the　Caucasian　skull：　your　skull；〃　he　said；　touching　a　specimen　at　the　right。

〃Interesting；〃　I　murmured。　〃I'm　afraid　I　know　nothing　about　skulls。〃

〃But　you　shall　know　someding　before　you　leave；〃　he　retorted；　wagging　his　head　at　me；　and　this　time　it　was　not　the　book；　but　a　specimen；　that　he　pushed　into　my　grasp。　He　gave　it　a　name；　not　as　bad　as　platyrrhine；　but　I　feared　worse　was　coming；　then　he　took　it　away　from　me；　gave　me　another　skull；　and　while　I　obediently　held　it；　pronounced　something　quite　beyond　me。

〃And　what　is　the　translation　of　that？〃　he　demanded　excitedly。

〃Tell　me；〃　I　feebly　answered。

He　shouted　with　overweening　triumph：　〃The　translation　of　that　is　South　Carolina　nigger。　Notice　well　this　so　egcellent　specimen。　Prognathous；　megadont；　platyrrhine。〃

〃Ha！　Platyrrhine！〃　I　saluted　the　one　word　I　recognized　as　I　drowned。

〃You　have　said　it　yourself！〃　was　his　extraordinary　answer；for　what　had　I　said？　Almost　as　if　he　were　going　to　break　into　a　dance　for　joy；　he　took　the　Caucasian　skull　and　the　other　two；　and　set　the　three　together　by　themselves；　away　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　King