Iola Leroy - Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (suggested reading txt) 📗

drag us down; and our social customs must be kept intact.”

“You have been associating with me at the convention for several days; I do not see that the contact has dragged you down, has it?”

“You! What has that got to do with associating with niggers?” asked Dr. Latrobe, curtly.

“The blood of that race is coursing through my veins. I am one of them,” replied Dr. Latimer, proudly raising his head.

“You!” exclaimed Dr. Latrobe, with an air of profound astonishment and crimsoning face.

“Yes;” interposed Dr. Gresham, laughing heartily at Dr. Latrobe’s discomfiture. “He belongs to that negro race both by blood and choice. His father’s mother made overtures to receive him as her grandson and heir, but he has nobly refused to forsake his mother’s people and has cast his lot with them.”

“And I,” said Dr. Latimer, “would have despised myself if I had done otherwise.”

“Well, well,” said Dr. Latrobe, rising, “I was never so deceived before. Good morning!”

Dr. Latrobe had thought he was clear-sighted enough to detect the presence of negro blood when all physical traces had disappeared. But he had associated with Dr. Latimer for several days, and admired his talent, without suspecting for one moment his racial connection. He could not help feeling a sense of vexation at the signal mistake he had made.

Dr. Frank Latimer was the natural grandson of a Southern lady, in whose family his mother had been a slave. The blood of a proud aristocratic ancestry was flowing through his veins, and generations of blood admixture had effaced all trace of his negro lineage. His complexion was blonde, his eye bright and piercing, his lips firm and well moulded; his manner very affable; his intellect active and well stored with information. He was a man capable of winning in life through his rich gifts of inheritance and acquirements. When freedom came, his mother, like Hagar of old, went out into the wide world to seek a living for herself and child. Through years of poverty she labored to educate her child, and saw the glad fruition of her hopes when her son graduated as an M.D. from the University of P⁠⸺.

After his graduation he met his father’s mother, who recognized him by his resemblance to her dear, departed son. All the mother love in her lonely heart awoke, and she was willing to overlook “the missing link of matrimony,” and adopt him as her heir, if he would ignore his identity with the colored race.

Before him loomed all the possibilities which only birth and blood can give a white man in our Democratic country. But he was a man of too much sterling worth of character to be willing to forsake his mother’s race for the richest advantages his grandmother could bestow.

Dr. Gresham had met Dr. Latimer at the beginning of the convention, and had been attracted to him by his frank and genial manner. One morning, when conversing with him, Dr. Gresham had learned some of the salient points of his history, which, instead of repelling him, had only deepened his admiration for the young doctor. He was much amused when he saw the pleasant acquaintanceship between him and Dr. Latrobe, but they agreed to be silent about his racial connection until the time came when they were ready to divulge it; and they were hugely delighted at his signal blunder.

XXIX Visitors from the South

“Mamma is not well,” said Iola to Robert. “I spoke to her about sending for a doctor, but she objected and I did not insist.”

“I will ask Dr. Latimer, whom I met at the Concordia, to step in. He is a splendid young fellow. I wish we had thousands like him.”

In the evening the doctor called. Without appearing to make a professional visit he engaged Marie in conversation, watched her carefully, and came to the conclusion that her failing health proceeded more from mental than physical causes.

“I am so uneasy about Harry,” said Mrs. Leroy. “He is so fearless and outspoken. I do wish the attention of the whole nation could be turned to the cruel barbarisms which are a national disgrace. I think the term ‘bloody shirt’ is one of the most heartless phrases ever invented to divert attention from cruel wrongs and dreadful outrages.”

Just then Iola came in and was introduced by her uncle to Dr. Latimer, to whom the introduction was a sudden and unexpected pleasure.

After an interchange of courtesies, Marie resumed the conversation, saying: “Harry wrote me only last week that a young friend of his had lost his situation because he refused to have his pupils strew flowers on the streets through which Jefferson Davis was to pass.”

“I think,” said Dr. Latimer, indignantly, “that the Israelites had just as much right to scatter flowers over the bodies of the Egyptians, when the waves threw back their corpses on the shores of the Red Sea, as these children had to strew the path of Jefferson Davis with flowers. We want our boys to grow up manly citizens, and not cringing sycophants. When do you expect your son, Mrs. Leroy?”

“Some time next week,” answered Marie.

“And his presence will do you more good than all the medicine in my chest.”

“I hope, Doctor,” said Mrs. Leroy, “that we will not lose sight of you, now that your professional visit is ended; for I believe your visit was the result of a conspiracy between Iola and her uncle.”

Dr. Latimer laughed, as he answered, “Ah, Mrs. Leroy, I see you have found us all out.”

“Oh, Doctor,” exclaimed Iola, with pleasing excitement, “there is a young lady coming here to visit me next week. Her name is Miss Lucille Delany, and she is my ideal woman. She is grand, brave, intellectual, and religious.”

“Is that so? She would make some man an excellent wife,” replied Dr. Latimer.

“Now isn’t that perfectly manlike,” answered Iola, smiling. “Mamma, what do you think of that? Did any of you gentlemen ever see a young woman of much ability that you did not look upon as a flotsam all adrift until some man had appropriated her?”

“I think, Miss Leroy, that the world’s work,