me is this, you know. In these days there are a good many people who
don't believe in God--not much--but I reckon it was God who set my
people free. You see, he didn't want that condition of things any
longer. It was God who did it, sir, that's what I think, and I don't
believe it was Jeff Davis. That's my view."

I did not argue the question further. When one gets down solid upon the
decrees, then I stop. But as the car rolled along with the speed usual
on Southern railways, I pondered the text, "The wrath of man shall
praise Him, and the remainder thereof shall he restrain."

* * * * *

He was a colored porter, and I may have transgressed the laws of "social
equality" in asking him aught other than to make up the berth, and to
call me early. With the judgment resting upon Geo. W. Cable--who is
never to be forgotten or forgiven because he had conference with some
colored people in Nashville, and did not insult them--one should be very
careful of his social equality. Nevertheless, I ventured to talk with
this colored porter. I asked him what he knew about his race, and what
he thought of his people and their prospects.

He said, "I was raised in North Carolina, never had much chance myself,
had only a country school to go to--kept by a colored man--not very good
teacher--pretty good--better than none. But there's good many good
schools now, and good many smart colored people by this time, sir.
There's a good many risin' all the time. Old Fred. Douglass is a right
smart man, you know; but then he sort o' left his race when he married a
white woman. We don't think so much of him as a leader as we used to."