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told me so。'
'Why； he couldn't have；' Jake insisted。 〃He's pure Anglo…Saxon
if I ever saw it。 Irish and Anglo…Saxon。'
。But
'
'I'm certain。 Absolutely。
'
'Very well；' said Doctor Copeland。 'We will not quarrel。
'
Outside the dark air had cooled so that there was a chill in the
room。 It was almost dawn。 The early morning sky was deep；
silky blue and the moon had turned from silver to white。 All
was still。 The only sound was the clear； lonely song of
a
spring bird in the darkness outside。 Though a faint breeze
blew in from the window the air in the room was sour and
close。 There was a feeling both of tenseness and exhaustion。
Doctor Copeland leaned forward from the pillow。 His eyes
were bloodshot and his hands clutched the counterpane。 The
neck of his nightshirt had slipped down over his bony
shoulder。 Jake's heels were balanced on the rungs of his chair
and his giant hands folded between his knees in a waiting and
childlike attitude。 Deep black circles were beneath his eyes；
his hair was unkempt。 They looked at each other and waited。
As the silence grew longer the tenseness between them
became more strained。
At last Doctor Copeland cleared his throat and said： 'I am
certain you did not come here for nothing。 I am sure we have
not discussed these subjects all through the night to no
purpose。 We have talked of everything now except the most
vital subject of all—the way out。 What must be done。'
They still watched each other and waited。 In the face of258
259
each there was expectation。 Doctor Copeland sat bolt upright
against the pillows。 Jake rested his chin in his hand and leaned
forward。 The pause continued。 And then hesitantly they began
to speak at the same time。
'Excuse me；' Jake said。 'Go ahead。
'
'No； you。 You started first。
'
'Go on。
'
'Pshaw！' said Doctor Copeland。 'Continue。
'
Jake stared at him with clouded； mystical eyes。 It's this way。
This is how I see it。 The only solution is for the people to
know。 Once they know the truth they can be oppressed no
longer。 Once just half of them know the whole fight is won。
'
'Yes； once they understand the workings of this society。 But
how do you propose to tell them？
'
'Listen；' Jake said。 'Think about chain letters。 If one person
sends a letter to ten people and then each of the ten people
sends letters to ten more—you get it？' He faltered。 'Not that
I
write letters； but the idea is the same。 I just go around telling。
And if in one town I can show the truth to just ten of the don'tknows； then I feel like some good has been done。 See？
'
Doctor Copeland looked at Jake in surprise。 Then he snorted。
'Do not be childish！ You cannot just go about talking。 Chain
letters indeed！ Knows and don't…knows！
'
Jake's lips trembled and his brow lowered with quick anger。
'O。K。 What have you got to offer？
'
'I will say first that I used to feel somewhat as you do on this
question。 But I have learned what a mistake that attitude is。
For half a century I thought it wise to be patient。
'
'I didn't say be patient。
'
'In the face of brutality I was prudent。 Before injustice I held
my peace。 I sacrificed the things in hand for the good of the
hypothetical whole。 I believed in the tongue instead of the fist。
As an armor against oppression I taught patience and faith in
the human soul。 I know now how wrong I was。 I have been
a
traitor to myself and to my people。 All that is rot。 Now is the
time to act and to act quickly。 Fight cunning with cunning and
might with might'
'But how？' Jake asked。 'How？
'
'Why； by getting out and doing things。 By calling
crowds of people together and getting them to demonstrate。
'
'Huh！ That last phrase gives you away— 〃getting them to
demonstrate。〃 What good will it do if you get them to
demonstrate against a thing if they don't know。 You're trying
to stuff the hog by way of his ass。
'
'Such vulgar expressions annoy me；' Doctor Copeland said
prudishly。
'For Christ' sake！ I don't care if they annoy you or not'
Doctor Copeland held up his hand。 'Let us not get so
overheated；' he said。 'Let us attempt to see eye to eye with
each other。
'
'Suits me。 I don't want to fight with you。
'
They were silent。 Doctor Copeland moved his eyes from one
corner of the ceiling to the other。 Several times he wet his lips
to speak and each time the word remained half…formed and
silent in his mouth。 Then at last he said： 'My advice to you is
this。 Do not attempt to stand alone。
'
'But
'
'But； nothing；' said Doctor Copeland didactically。 〃The most
fatal thing a man can do is try to stand alone。
'
'I see what you're getting at。
'
Doctor Copeland pulled the neck of his nightshirt up over his
bony shoulder and held it gathered tight to his throat。 'You
believe in the struggle of my people for their human rights？'
The Doctor's agitation and his mild and husky question made
Jake's eyes brim suddenly with tears。 A quick； swollen rush of
love caused him to grasp the black； bony hand on the
counterpane and hold it fast。 'Sure；' he said。
〃The extremity of our need？'
'Yes。'
〃The lack of justice？ The bitter inequality？'
Doctor Copeland coughed and spat into one of the squares of
paper which he kept beneath his pillow。 'I have a program。 It is
a very simple； concentrated plan。 I mean to focus on only one
objective。 In August of this year I plan to lead more than one
thousand Negroes in this county on a march。 A march to
Washington。 All of us together in one solid body。 If you will
look in the cabinet yonder you will see a stack of letters which
I have written260
this week and will deliver personally。' Doctor Copeland slid
his nervous hands up and down the sides of the narrow bed。
'You remember what I said to you a short while ago？ You will
recall that my only advice to you was： Do not attempt to stand
alone。'
'I get it；' Jake said。
*But once you enter this it must be all。 First and foremost。
Your work now and forever。 You must give of your whole self
without stint； without hope of personal return； without rest or
hope of rest。'
'For the rights of the Negro in the South。'
'In the South and here in this very county。 And it must be
either all or nothing。 Either yes or no。'
Doctor Copeland leaned back on the pillow。 Only his eyes
seemed alive。 They burned in his face like red coals。 The fever
made his cheekbones a ghastly purple。 Jake scowled and
pressed his knuckles to his soft； wide； trembling mouth。 Color
rushed to his face。 Outside the first pale light of morning had
come。 The electric bulb suspended from the ceiling burned
with ugly sharpness in the dawn。
Jake rose to his feet and stood stiffly at the foot of the bed。 He
said flatly： 'No。 That's not the right angle at all。 I'm dead sure
it's not。 In the first place； you'd never get out of town。 They'd
break it up by saying it's a menace to public health—or some
such trumped…up reason。 They'd arrest you and nothing would
come of it。 But even if by some miracle you got to
Washington it wouldn't do a bit of good。 Why； the whole
notion is crazy。'
The sharp rattle of phlegm sounded in Doctor Cope…land's
throat。 His voice was harsh。 'As you are so quick to sneer and
condemn； what do you have to offer instead？'
'I didn't sneer；' Jake said。 'I only remarked that your plan is
crazy。 I come here tonight with an idea much better than that。 I
wanted your son； Willie； and the other two boys to let me push
them around in a wagon。 They were to tell what happened to
them and afterward I was to tell why。 In other words； I was to
give a talk on the dialectics of capitalism—and show up all of
its lies。 I would explain so that everyone would understand
why those boys' legs were cut off。 And make everyone who
saw them know。'
'Pshaw！ Double pshaw！' said Doctor Copeland furious
261
ly。 1 do not believe you have good sense。 If I were a man who
felt it worth my while to laugh I would surely laugh at that。
Never have I had the opportunity to hear of such nonsense
first hand。'
They stared at each other in bitter disappointment and anger。
There was the rattle of a wagon in the street outside。 Jake
swallowed and bit his lips。 'Huh！' he said finally。 'You're the
only one who's crazy。 You got everything exactly backward。
The only way to solve the Negro problem under capitalism is
to geld every one of the fifteen million black men in these
states。'
'So that is the kind of idea you harbor beneath your ranting
about justice。'
'I didn't say it should be done。 I only said you couldn't see the
forest for the trees。' Jake spoke with slow and painful care。
'The work has to start at the bottom。 The old traditions
smashed and the new ones created。 To forge a whole new
pattern for the world。 To make man a social creature for the
first time； living in an orderly and controlled society where he
is not forced to be unjust in order to survive。 A social tradition
in which'
Doctor Copeland clapped ironically。 'Very good；' he said。 'But
the cotton must be picked before the cloth is made。 You and
your crackpot do…nothing theories can'
'Hush！ Who cares whether you and your thousand