I was the only teacher. The students were about
equally divided between the sexes. Most of them lived in Macon
County, the county in which Tuskegee is situated, and of which it
is the county-seat. A great many more students wanted to enter
the school, but it had been decided to receive only those who
were above fifteen years of age, and who had previously received
some education. The greater part of the thirty were public-school
teachers, and some of them were nearly forty years of age. With
the teachers came some of their former pupils, and when they were
examined it was amusing to note that in several cases the pupil
entered a higher class than did his former teacher. It was also
interesting to note how many big books some of them had studied,
and how many high-sounding subjects some of them claimed to have
mastered. The bigger the book and the longer the name of the
subject, the prouder they felt of their accomplishment. Some had
studied Latin, and one or two Greek. This they thought entitled
them to special distinction.
In fact, one of the saddest things I saw during the month of
travel which I have described was a young man, who had attended
some high school, sitting down in a one-room cabin, with grease
on his clothing, filth all around him, and weeds in the yard and
garden, engaged in studying a French grammar.
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