Trial and Triumph | Page 3

I would ignore or
speak lightly of the value of good colored teachers nor suggest as a race,
that we can well afford to do without them; but to-day, if it were left to
my decision, whether the education of the race should be placed in the
hands of the school teacher or the mothers and there was no other
alternative, I should, by all means, decide for the education of the race
through its motherhood rather than through its teachers."
"But we poor mothers had no chance. We could not teach our
children."

"I think you could teach some of them more than they wish to learn; but
I must go now; at some other time we will talk on this subject."

Chapter II
"Oh, Annette!" said Mrs. Harcourt, turning to her granddaughter after
Mr. Thomas had left the door; "What makes you so naughty? Why did
you pour that oil on Mrs. Larkin's steps; didn't you know it was
wrong?"
Annette stood silent looking like a guilty culprit.
"Why don't you answer me; what makes you behave so bad?"
"I don't know, grandma, I 'specs I did it for the devil. The preacher said
the devil makes people do bad things."
"The preacher didn't say any such thing; he said the devil tempts people
to be bad, but you are not to mind every thing the devil tells you to do,
if you do, you will get yourself into a lot of trouble."
"Well, grandma, Mrs. Larkins is so mean and cross and she is always
telling tales on me and I just did it for fun."
"Well, that is very poor fun. You deserve a good whipping, and I've a
great mind to give it to you now."
"Why don't she let me alone; she is all the time trying to get you to beat
me. She's a spiteful old thing anyhow. I don't like her, and I know she
don't like me."
"Hush Annette, you must not talk that way of any one so much older
than yourself. When I was a child I wouldn't have talked that way about
any old person. Don't let me hear you talk that way again. You will
never rest till I give you a good whipping."
"Yes ma'm," said Annette very demurely.

"Oh, Annette!" said her grandmother with a sudden burst of feeling.
"You do give me so much trouble. You give me more worry than all
my six children put together; but there is always one scabby sheep in
the flock and you will be that one. Now get ready for school and don't
let me hear any more complaints about you; I am not going to let you
worry me to death."
Annette took up her bonnet and glided quietly out of the door, glad to
receive instead of the threatened whipping a liberal amount of talk, and
yet the words struck deeper than blows. Her own grandmother had
prophesied evil things of her. She was to be the scabby sheep of the
flock. The memory of the blows upon her body might have passed soon
away after the pain and irritation of the infliction were over, but that
inconsiderate prophecy struck deep into her heart and left its impress
upon her unfolding life. Without intending it, Mrs. Harcourt had struck
a blow at the child's self-respect; one of the things which she should
have strengthened, even if it was "ready to die." Annette had entered
life sadly handicapped. She was the deserted child of a selfish and
unprincipled man and a young mother whose giddiness and lack of
self-control had caused her to trail the robes of her womanhood in the
dust. With such an ante-natal history how much she needed judicious,
but tender, loving guidance. In that restless, sensitive and impulsive
child was the germ of a useful woman with a warm, loving heart, ready
to respond to human suffering, capable of being faithful in friendship
and devoted in love. Before that young life with its sad inheritance
seemed to lay a future of trial, and how much, humanly speaking,
seemed to depend upon the right training of that life and the
development within her of self-control, self-reliance and self-respect.
There was no mother's heart for her to nestle upon in her hours of
discouragement and perplexity; no father's strong, loving arms to
shelter and defend her; no sister to brighten her life with joyous
companionship, and no brother to champion her through the early and
impossible period of ripening womanhood. Her grandmother was kind
to her, but not very tender and loving. Her struggle to keep the wolf
from the door had absorbed her life, and although she was neither hard
nor old, yet she was not demonstrative in her affections, and to her a