VII 

 JOHN 



A FEW days ago death came to an 

 old Negro "John" who for many 

 years had worked on the grounds of Drew 

 Seminary. Since his death, to relieve the 

 emptiness of the scene, I have been recon- 

 sidering my previous partial estimate ; and 

 this morning I surprised myself with the 

 conclusion that, of all the humble people 

 I have known, this obscure Negro had the 

 most pristine and almost the most inter- 

 esting individuality. The material should 

 be treated by an interpreter of human 

 nature having a particular gift for under- 

 standing and portraying inarticulate and 

 unlabeled manhood; such an interpreter 

 as Turgenieff, or Bret Harte, or the 

 author of immortal "Marse Chan." But, 

 as no such interpreter is available, I will 



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