It was a gala day in Tennis Court. Annette had passed a highly
successful examination, and was to graduate from the normal school, and
as a matter of course, her neighbors wanted to hear Annette "speak her
piece" as they called the commencement theme, and also to see how she
was going to behave before all "them people." They were, generally
speaking, too unaspiring to feel envious toward any one of their race
who excelled them intellectually, and so there was little or no jealousy
of Annette in Tennis Court; in fact some of her neighbors felt a kind of
pride in the thought that Tennis Court would turn out a girl who could
stand on the same platform and graduate alongside of some of their
employers' daughters. If they could not stand there themselves they were
proud that one of their race could.
"I feel," said one, "like the boy when some one threatened to slap off
his face who said 'you can slap off my face, but I have a big brother
and you can't slap off his face;'" and strange as it may appear, Annette
received more encouragement from a class of honest-hearted but ignorant
and well meaning people who knew her, than she did from some of the most
cultured and intelligent people of A.P. Nor was it very strange; they
were living too near the poverty, ignorance and social debasement of the
past to have developed much race pride, and a glowing enthusiasm in its
progress and development. Although they were of African descent, they
were Americans whose thoughts were too much Americanized to be wholly
free from imbibing the social atmosphere with which they were in
constant contact in their sphere of enjoyments. The literature they read
was mostly from the hands of white men who would paint them in any
colors which suited their prejudices or predilections. The religious
ideas they had embraced came at first thought from the same sources,
though they may have undergone modifications in passing through their
channels of thought, and it must be a remarkable man or woman who thinks
an age ahead of the generation in which his or her lot is cast, and who
plans and works for the future on the basis of that clearer vision. Nor
is it to be wondered at, if under the circumstances, some of the more
cultured of A.P. thought it absurd to look for anything remarkable to
come out of the black Nazareth of Tennis court. Her neighbors had an
idea that Annette was very smart; that she had a great "head piece," but
unless she left A.P. to teach school elsewhere, they did not see what
good her education was going to do her. It wasn't going to put any meal
in the barrel nor any potatoes in the bin. Even Mrs. Larkins relaxed her
ancient hostility to Annette and opened her heart to present her with a
basket of flowers. Annette within the last year had become very much
changed in her conduct and character. She had become friendly in her
manner and considerate in her behavior to Mrs. Larkins since she had
entered the church, during a protracted meeting. Annette was rather
crude in her religious views but here again Mrs. Lasette became her
faithful friend and advisor. In dealing with a young convert she thought
more was needed than getting her into the church and making her feel
that the moment she rose from the altar with rejoicing on her lips, that
she was a full blown christian. That, to Mrs. Lasette was the initial
step in the narrow way left luminous by the bleeding feet of Christ, and
what the young convert needed was to be taught how to walk worthy of her
high calling, and to make her life a thing of usefulness and
faithfulness to God and man, a growth in grace and in the saving
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Simply attired in a dress which Mrs.
Lasette thought fitted for the occasion, Annette took her seat quietly
on the platform and calmly waited till her turn came. Her subject was
announced: "The Mission of the Negro." It was a remarkable production
for a girl of her age. At first she portrayed an African family seated
beneath their bamboo huts and spreading palms; the light steps of the
young men and maidens tripping to music, dance and song; their pastimes
suddenly broken upon by the tramp of the merchants of flesh and blood;
the capture of defenceless people suddenly surprised in the midst of
their sports, the cries of distress, the crackling of flames, the cruel
oaths of reckless men, eager for gold though they coined it from tears
and extracted it from blood; the crowding of the slaveships, the horrors
of the middle passage, the landing of the ill-fated captives were
vividly related, and the sad story of ages of bondage. It seemed as if
the sorrow of centuries was sobbing in her voice. Then the scene
changed, and like a grand triumphal march she recounted the deliverance
of the Negro, and the wondrous change which had come over his condition;
the slave pen exchanged for the free school, the fetters on his wrist
for the ballot in his right hand. Then her voice grew musical when she
began to speak of the mission of the Negro, "His mission," she said, "is
grandly constructive." Some races had been "architects of destruction,"
but their mission was to build over the ruins of the dead past, the most
valuable thing that a man or woman could possess on earth, and that is
good character. That mission should be to bless and not to curse. To
lift up the banner of the Christian religion from the mire and dust into
which slavery and pride of caste had trailed it, and to hold it up as an
ensign of hope and deliverance to other races of the world, of whom the
greater portion were not white people. It seemed as if an inspiration
lit up the young face; her eye glowed with unwonted fervor; it seemed as
if she had fused her whole soul into the subject, which was full of
earnestness and enthusiasm. Her theme was the sensation of the hour. Men
grew thoughtful and attentive, women tender and sympathetic as they
heard this member of a once despised people, recount the trials and
triumphs of her race, and the hopes that gathered around their future.
The day before Annette graduated Mr. Thomas had met a friend of his at
Mrs. Lasette's, who had lately returned from an extensive tour. He had
mingled with many people and had acquired a large store of information.
Mr. Thomas had invited him to accompany him to the commencement. He had
expected that Annette would acquit herself creditably, but she had far
exceeded his most sanguine expectations. Clarence Luzerne had come
because his friend Mr. Thomas had invited him and because he and Mrs.
Lasette had taken such great interest in Annette's welfare, and his
curiosity was excited to see how she would acquit herself and compare
with the other graduates. He did not have much faith in graduating
essays. He had heard a number of such compositions at commencements
which had inspired him with glowing hopes for the future of the authors,
which he had never seen realized, and he had come more to gratify Mr.
Thomas than to please himself. But if he came through curiosity, he
remained through interest, which had become more and more absorbing as
she proceeded.
"Clarence," said Mr. Thomas to his friend, noticing the deep interest he
was manifesting, "Are you entranced? You appear perfectly spell-bound."
"Well, I am; I am really delighted and indebted to you for a rare and
unexpected pleasure. Why, that young lady gave the finest production
that I have heard this morning. I hardly think she could have written it
herself. It seems wonderful that a girl of her age should have done it
so well. You are a great friend of hers; now own up, are not your finger
marks upon it? I wouldn't tell it out of our ranks, but I don't think
she wrote that all herself."
"Who do you think wrote it for her?"
"Mrs. Lasette."
"I do not think so; Mrs. Lasette is a fine writer, but that nervous,
fervid and impassioned style is so unlike hers, that I do not think she
wrote one line of it, though she might have overlooked it, and made
some suggestions, but even if it were so that some one else wrote it, we
know that no one else delivered it, and that her delivery was
excellent."
"That is so; why, she excelled all the other girls. Do you know what was
the difference between her and the other girls?"
"No; what was it?" said Mr. Thomas.
"They wrote from their heads, she wrote from her heart. Annette has
begun to think; she has been left a great deal to herself, and in her
loneliness, she has developed a thoughtfulness past her years, and I
think that a love for her race and a desire to serve it has become a
growing passion in her soul; her heart has supplied her intellect."
"Ah, I think from what you say that I get the true clue to the power and
pathos with which she spoke this morning and that accounts for her
wonderful success."
"Yes," said Mr. Luzerne,[14] "it is the inner life which develops the
outer life, and just such young people as Annette make me more hopeful
of the future of the race."
Mrs. Lasette witnessed Annette's graduation with intense interest and
pleasure. Grandmother Harcourt looked the very impersonation of
satisfaction as she gathered up the floral gifts, and modestly waited
while Annette received the pleasant compliments of admiring friends.
At his request Mr. Thomas introduced Mr. Luzerne to Annette, who in the
most gracious and affable manner, tendered to Annette his hearty
congratulations which she modestly received, and for the time being all
went merry as a marriage bell.