up from slavery-第40章

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　would　take　me　into　territory　where　I　thought　it　would　pay　to　plead　the　cause　of　my　race；　but　I　always　did　this　with　the　understanding　that　I　was　to　be　free　to　talk　about　my　life…work　and　the　needs　of　my　people。　I　also　had　it　understood　that　I　was　not　to　speak　in　the　capacity　of　a　professional　lecturer；　or　for　mere　commercial　gain。

In　my　efforts　on　the　public　platform　I　never　have　been　able　to　understand　why　people　come　to　hear　me　speak。　This　question　I　never　can　rid　myself　of。　Time　and　time　again；　as　I　have　stood　in　the　street　in　front　of　a　building　and　have　seen　men　and　women　passing　in　large　numbers　into　the　audience　room　where　I　was　to　speak；　I　have　felt　ashamed　that　I　should　be　the　cause　of　peopleas　it　seemed　to　mewasting　a　valuable　hour　of　their　time。　Some　years　ago　I　was　to　deliver　an　address　before　a　literary　society　in　Madison；　Wis。　An　hour　before　the　time　set　for　me　to　speak；　a　fierce　snow…storm　began；　and　continued　for　several　hours。　I　made　up　my　mind　that　there　would　be　no　audience；　and　that　I　should　not　have　to　speak；　but；　as　a　matter　of　duty；　I　went　to　the　church；　and　found　it　packed　with　people。　The　surprise　gave　me　a　shock　that　I　did　not　recover　from　during　the　whole　evening。

People　often　ask　me　if　I　feel　nervous　before　speaking；　or　else　they　suggest　that；　since　I　speak　often；　they　suppose　that　I　get　used　to　it。　In　answer　to　this　question　I　have　to　say　that　I　always　suffer　intensely　from　nervousness　before　speaking。　More　than　once；　just　before　I　was　to　make　an　important　address；　this　nervous　strain　has　been　so　great　that　I　have　resolved　never　again　to　speak　in　public。　I　not　only　feel　nervous　before　speaking；　but　after　I　have　finished　I　usually　feel　a　sense　of　regret；　because　it　seems　to　me　as　if　I　had　left　out　of　my　address　the　main　thing　and　the　best　thing　that　I　had　meant　to　say。

There　is　a　great　compensation；　though；　for　this　preliminary　nervous　suffering；　that　comes　to　me　after　I　have　been　speaking　for　about　ten　minutes；　and　have　come　to　feel　that　I　have　really　mastered　my　audience；　and　that　we　have　gotten　into　full　and　complete　sympathy　with　each　other。　It　seems　to　me　that　there　is　rarely　such　a　combination　of　mental　and　physical　delight　in　any　effort　as　that　which　comes　to　a　public　speaker　when　he　feels　that　he　has　a　great　audience　completely　within　his　control。　There　is　a　thread　of　sympathy　and　oneness　that　connects　a　public　speaker　with　his　audience；　that　is　just　as　strong　as　though　it　was　something　tangible　and　visible。　If　in　an　audience　of　a　thousand　people　there　is　one　person　who　is　not　in　sympathy　with　my　views；　or　is　inclined　to　be　doubtful；　cold；　or　critical；　I　can　pick　him　out。　When　I　have　found　him　I　usually　go　straight　at　him；　and　it　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　watch　the　process　of　his　thawing　out。　I　find　that　the　most　effective　medicine　for　such　individuals　is　administered　at　first　in　the　form　of　a　story；　although　I　never　tell　an　anecdote　simply　for　the　sake　of　telling　one。　That　kind　of　thing；　I　think；　is　empty　and　hollow；　and　an　audience　soon　finds　it　out。

I　believe　that　one　always　does　himself　and　his　audience　an　injustice　when　he　speaks　merely　for　the　sake　of　speaking。　I　do　not　believe　that　one　should　speak　unless；　deep　down　in　his　heart；　he　feels　convinced　that　he　has　a　message　to　deliver。　When　one　feels；　from　the　bottom　of　his　feet　to　the　top　of　his　head；　that　he　has　something　to　say　that　is　going　to　help　some　individual　or　some　cause；　then　let　him　say　it；　and　in　delivering　his　message　I　do　not　believe　that　many　of　the　artificial　rules　of　elocution　can；　under　such　circumstances；　help　him　very　much。　Although　there　are　certain　things；　such　as　pauses；　breathing；　and　pitch　of　voice；　that　are　very　important；　none　of　these　can　take　the　place　of　soul　in　an　address。　When　I　have　an　address　to　deliver；　I　like　to　forget　all　about　the　rules　for　the　proper　use　of　the　English　language；　and　all　about　rhetoric　and　that　sort　of　thing；　and　I　like　to　make　the　audience　forget　all　about　these　things；　too。

Nothing　tends　to　throw　me　off　my　balance　so　quickly；　when　I　am　speaking；　as　to　have　some　one　leave　the　room。　To　prevent　this；　I　make　up　my　mind；　as　a　rule；　that　I　will　try　to　make　my　address　so　interesting；　will　try　to　state　so　many　interesting　facts　one　after　another；　that　no　one　can　leave。　The　average　audience；　I　have　come　to　believe；　wants　facts　rather　than　generalities　or　sermonizing。　Most　people；　I　think；　are　able　to　draw　proper　conclusions　if　they　are　given　the　facts　in　an　interesting　form　on　which　to　base　them。

As　to　the　kind　of　audience　that　I　like　best　to　talk　to；　I　would　put　at　the　top　of　the　list　an　organization　of　strong；　wide…awake；　business　men；　such；　for　example；　as　is　found　in　Boston；　New　York；　Chicago；　and　Buffalo。　I　have　found　no　other　audience　so　quick　to　see　a　point；　and　so　responsive。　Within　the　last　few　years　I　have　had　the　privilege　of　speaking　before　most　of　the　leading　organizations　of　this　kind　in　the　large　cities　of　the　United　States。　The　best　time　to　get　hold　of　an　organization　of　business　men　is　after　a　good　dinner；　although　I　think　that　one　of　the　worst　instruments　of　torture　that　was　ever　invented　is　the　custom　which　makes　it　necessary　for　a　speaker　to　sit　through　a　fourteen…course　dinner；　every　minute　of　the　time　feeling　sure　that　his　speech　is　going　to　prove　a　dismal　failure　and　disappointment。

I　rarely　take　part　in　one　of　these　long　dinners　that　I　do　not　wish　that　I　could　put　myself　back　in　the　little　cabin　where　I　was　a　slave　boy；　and　again　go　through　the　experience　thereone　that　I　shall　never　forgetof　getting　molasses　to　eat　once　a　week　from　the　〃big　house。〃　Our　usual　diet　on　the　plantation　was　corn　bread　and　pork；　but　on　Sunday　morning　my　mother　was　permitted　to　bring　down　a　little　molasses　from　the　〃big　house〃　for　her　three　children；　and　when　it　was　received　how　I　did　wish　that　every　day　was　Sunday！　I　would　get　my　tin　plate　and　hold　it　up　for　the　sweet　morsel；　but　I　would　always　shut　my　eyes　while　the　molasses　was　being　poured　out　into　the　plate；　with　the　hope　that　when　I　opened　them　I　would　be　surprised　to　see　how　much　I　had　got。　When　I　opened　my　eyes　I　would　tip　the　plate　in　one　direction　and　another；　so　as　to　make　the　molasses　spread　all　over　it；　in　the　full　belief　that　there　would　be　more　of　it　and　that　it　would　last　longer　if　spread　out　in　this　way。　So　strong　are　my　childish　impressions　of　those　Sunday　morning　feasts　that　it　would　be　pretty　hard　for　any　one　to　convince　me　that　there　is　not　more　molasses　on　a　plate　when　it　is　spread　all　over　the　plate　than　when　it　occupies　a　little　cornerif　there　is　a　corner　in　a　plate。　At　any　rate；　I　have　never　believed　in　〃cornering〃　syrup。　My　share　of　the　syrup　was　usually　about　two　tablespoonfuls；　and　those　two　spoonfuls　of　molasses　were　much　more　enjoyable　to　me　than　is　a　fourteen…course　dinner　after　which　I　am　to　speak。

Next　to　a　company　of　business　men；　I　prefer　to　speak　to　an　audience　of　Southern　people；　of　either　race；　together　or　taken　separately。　Their　enthusiasm　and　responsiveness　are　a　constant　delight。　The　〃amens〃　and　〃dat's　de　truf〃　that　come　spontaneously　from　the　coloured　individuals　are　calculated　to　spur　any　speaker　on　to　his　best　efforts。　I　think　that　next　in　order　of　preference　I　would　place　a　college　audience。　It　has　been　my　privilege　to　deliver　addresses　at　many　of　our　leading　colleges　including　Harvard；　Yale；　Williams；　Amherst；　Fisk　University；　the　University　of　Pennsylvania；　Wellesley；　the　University　of　Michigan；　Trinity　College　in　North　Carolina；　and　many　others。

It　has　been　a　matter　of　deep　interest　to　me　to　note　the　number　of　people　who　have　come　to　shake　hands　with　me　after　an　address；　who　say　that　this　is　the　first　time　they　have　ever　called　a　Negro　〃Mister。〃

When　speaking　directly　in　the　interests　of　the　Tuskegee　Institute；　I　usually　arrange；　some　time　in　advance；　a　series　of　meetings　in　important　centres。　This　takes　me　before　churches；　Sunday…schools；　Christian　Endeavour　Societies；　and　men's　and　women's　clubs。　When　doing　this　I　sometimes　speak　before　as　many　as　four　organizations　in　a　single　day。

Three　years　ago；　at　the　suggestion　of　Mr。　Morris　K。　Jessup；　of　New　York；　and　Dr。　J。L。M。　Curry；　the　general　agent　of　the　fund；　the　trustees　of　the　John　F。　Slater　Fund　voted　a　sum　of　mone