The black man by this time had gathered himself up for his reply to my Q.E.D. Not knowing what my sympathies might be, he replied in a slow and careful way, "Well, sir, I can't see it as you do. The way it looks to me is this, you know. In these days there are a good many people who don't believe in God—not much—but I reckon it was God who set my people free. You see, he didn't want that condition of things any longer. It was God who did it, sir, that's what I think, and I don't believe it was Jeff Davis. That's my view."
I did not argue the question further. When one gets down solid upon the decrees, then I stop. But as the car rolled along with the speed usual on Southern railways, I pondered the text, "The wrath of man shall praise Him, and the remainder thereof shall he restrain."
He was a colored porter, and I may have transgressed the laws of "social equality" in asking him aught other than to make up the berth, and to call me early. With the judgment resting upon Geo. W. Cable—who is never to be forgotten or forgiven because he had conference with some colored people in Nashville, and did not insult them—one should be very careful of his social equality. Nevertheless, I ventured to talk with this colored porter. I asked him what he knew about his race, and what he thought of his people and their prospects.
He said, "I was raised in North Carolina, never had much chance myself, had only a country school to go to—kept by a colored man—not very good teacher—pretty good—better than none. But there's good many good schools now, and good many smart colored people by this time, sir. There's a good many risin' all the time. Old Fred. Douglass is a right smart man, you know; but then he sort o' left his race when he married a white woman. We don't think so much of him as a leader as we used to."
The car rolled on. It was two hours late at my station. The bus man who stood in the stage door and collected the fares was conversational. He was unaware that by my ride and conversation in the car, I had forfeited my "social equality" with him. Hence he did not ostracise me; but smiling, said, "Train very late to-day, sir." "Isn't it usually as late as this?" I asked. "Invariably, sir, except when it's later."
Paragraphs.
Dr. Rankin, the newly-elected President of Howard University, writes:
"Everything at the University begins very promisingly. We had a crowded preaching service on Sunday night, and are observing the week of prayer at 12:30 noon. The meetings are full and impressive."
"If a donor should give a great material gift to the University, I am sure I ought to write you. But the great Giver is giving us the choicest of spiritual gifts. Eight of the students, one of them a senior, this noon expressed a desire for prayers. We continue the daily meeting at noon."