I
had been working in a salt-furnace for several months, and my
stepfather had discovered that I had a financial value, and so, when
the school opened, he decided that he could not spare me from my work.
This decision seemed to cloud my every ambition. The disappointment
was made all the more severe by reason of the fact that my place of
work was where I could see the happy children passing to and from
school mornings and afternoons. Despite this disappointment, however,
I determined that I would learn something, anyway. I applied myself
with greater earnestness than ever to the mastering of what was in the
"blue-back" speller.
My mother sympathized with me in my disappointment, and sought to
comfort me in all the ways she could, and to help me find a way to
learn. After a while I succeeded in making arrangements with the
teacher to give me some lessons at night, after the day's work was
done. These night lessons were so welcome that I think I learned more
at night than the other children did during the day. My own
experiences in the night-school gave me faith in the night-school
idea, with which, in after years, I had to do both at Hampton and
Tuskegee. But my boyish heart was still set upon going to the day-
school, and I let no opportunity slip to push my case.
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