The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-04-01
TIFF LEOPARD'S SPOTS
Continued from Page Six

...lFf+ion among the negroes.
u.,..n Lowell and Harris reached Bos-
.hav parted at the depot Harris
+. r YOU be at home tomorrow, Mr..
1" .v... rnye.
would like a talk with you in the
.rg on Il matter of grave import
Nav ! call at nine o'clock?"
..r-4inIy. Come right into the lib
yellI find me there, George"
Seated in the library next morning
.,s was nervous and embarrassed
- ..}a two or three attempts to be-
+Hs subject but turned aside with
.. unimportant remark.
.t.Df1 George, what is the problem
... makes YOU so grave this morning.
..... lowell with kindly patronage.
-.rrfs felt that his hour had come,
..t ne must face it. He leaned forward
his chair and looked steadily down at
.. r4s. while he clasped both his hands
...1, across his lap and spoke with
sweat rapidity.
.Nr Lowell l wish to say to you that
have taught me the greatest faith
.s }i.e. faith in my fellow man without
.A#eh there can be no faith in God.
Mt..t I have suffered as a man as l have
..5ae in contact with the brutality with
which my race is almost universally
treated. God only can ever know.
.The culture / have received has SIM
.Ht multiplied a thousandfold my ca
..e.ty to suffer. But for the inspiration
of your manhood / would have ended my
life In the river. In you l saw a great
light. saw a man really made in the
o. - ~ 80 -~-1 -
with head erect, scorning the weak pre-
tldices Of caste, which dare to call the
mage of God clean or unclean in passion
or pride,
II lifted up my head and said, one such
nan redeems a world from hopeless in
fanny. It's worth while to live in a
world honored by one such man, for he
is the prophecy of more to come"
He paused a moment fidgeted with q
piece of paper he had picked up from the
table and seemed at a loss for a word.
1t never dawned On Lowell what he was
driving at. He supposed as a matter Of
course. he was referring to his great
speeches and was going to ask for some
promotion in a governmental department
ut Washington.
I'm proud to have been such an in
spiration to you, George. You know how
much l think of you. What is on your
mind?" he asked at length.
Il have hidden it from every human
eye. sir, | am afraid to breathe it aloud
alone. | nave only tried to sing it in
song in an impersonal way. Your wond-
erful words of late have emboldened me
to speak. 1t is this. | am madly, des-
p~erately in love with your daughter"
Lowell sprang to his feet as though a
bolt of lightning had suddenly shot down
his backbone. He glared at the negro
with dilated eyes and heaying
breast as though he had been trans
formed into a leopard or tiger and was
about to spring at his throat.
Before answering and with a gesture
commanding silence, he walked rapidly
to the library door and closed it.
And l nave come to ask you" con-
tinued Harris ignoring his gesture, IF I
may pay my addresses to her with your
consent"
Harris, this is crazy nonsense. Such
an idea IS preposterous. l am amazed
that it should ever have entered your
head. Let this be the end Of it here and
now, if you nave any desire to retain my
friendship"
Lowell said this with a scow1, and an
FAlpIdSlS OIL luulSHdut IlSiuS lcioSlioA.
The negro seemed stunned by this swift
blow in his very teeth, that seemed to
place him outside the pale of a human
being.
Why is such a hope unreasonable, sir,
TO a man of your scientific mind?"
1T is a question of TASTE" snapped
Lowell.
Am not a graduate of the same uni
yersity with you? Did l not stand as
high, and age for age, am l not your
equal in culture?"
Granted. Nevertheless you are a ne
gro. and / do not desire the infusion OF
your blood in my family"
But I have more of white than ne
gro blood, sir
SO much the worse. 1t is the mark
of shame
But it is the one drop Of negro blood
at which your taste %revolts, is it not?'
ITO be frank, it is"
Why is it an objectionable sin in me
that my ancestors were born under tropic
skies where skin and hair were tanned
and curled to suit the sun fierce rays?'
All tropic races are not negroes, and
your race has characteristics apart from
accidents OF climate that make it unique
III the annals of man" rejoined Lowell
And yet you demand perfect equality
Of man with man, absolutely in form and
substance without reservation or subter-
tuge!"
Yes, political equality"
Politics is but a secondary phenomenon
OF society. You said absolute equality
Protested Harris.
The question you breach is a question
OF taste, and the deeper social instincts
OF racial purity and self preservation.
care not what your culture. or your
genius, or your position, l do not desire
ana will not permit. a mixture of negro
biood in my family. The idea is nauseat-
'-S. and TO my daughter it would be re-
tilslFe beyond the power of words to ex.
press."
And yet" pleaded Harris, you in.
'ted NE to your home, introduced me tt
Your daughter, seated me at your table
oAN used me in your appeal to your con
aH'Hents, and now when l dare ask the
|IiFllege OF seeking her hand in honorable