ed and loaded, and for several days all sorts of
provisions were hauled to my mother's house and stored away for winter.
I went to the house of one good widow, who said:

"'Fesser, I ain't got nothin' to pay you wid but dis 'ere house-cat, and
he's a good'n. I owes you twenty-five cents, and I wants to pay it. You
done my little gal good--more'n any teacher ever did. She ain't stop'
washin' her face yit when she gits up in de mornin'."

"Very well," I said, "I'll take the cat with thanks and call the debt
square."

Another said: "'Fesser, I heard you was coming, and I hid all my meat
in de smoke-house, and says: 'I'll tell him I ain't got none;' but when
I seed you coming I tole de chillen to go open de smoke-house. Anybody
who do my chillens as much good as you, can get every bit de meat I
got." From that woman I got fifty pounds of meat.

Another good woman wanted me to take her only pair of scissors, and when
I refused to do so, she put them into my coat-pocket, saying the man who
taught her child so much must be paid.

For three years I taught school with one personal object in view--the
support of my mother and her family. Mother was not satisfied with this;
she wanted me educated. Finally she married again, for no higher reason
than to permit me, and the other children growing up, to go to school.
My hope for an education was again renewed, and I went back to Tuskegee.

Nearly everybody had forgotten that I had ever been there.
Notwithstanding I had been out nearly three terms, I had kept pace with
my class, making one class each year, the same as if I had been in
school. Upon a very critical examination, in which I averaged
ninety-three for all subjects, I entered the B Middle class in the
day-school.

Financially I was very little better off than when I left, but I had
learned how to manipulate things in such a way as to make it possible to
remain in school. I knew a trade at which I could easily make a dollar a
day in credit, and I could teach during the vacation. Things went
smoothly for one year. Then my brother came, and I had to support him in
part. Just about the time I was getting myself adjusted to this, my
sister came. I knew I should have to support her almost wholly, so I
felt like giving up under such a triple burden; but I held on. I had to
deny myself many of the pleasures of school life in order to make two
ends meet. I had to wear two pairs of pantaloons and one pair of
drawers; and I rem