WINTER SUNSHINE 13 



mainly because the two-handed thrift of the North- 

 erner, his varied and wonderful ability, completely 

 captivates the imagination of the black man, just 

 learning to shift for himself. 



How far he has caught or is capable of being 

 imbued with the Yankee spirit of enterprise and 

 industry, remains to be seen. In some things he 

 has already shown himself an apt scholar. I no- 

 tice, for instance, he is about as industrious an 

 office-seeker as the most patriotic among us, and 

 that he learns with amazing ease and rapidity all 

 the arts and wiles of the politicians. He is versed 

 in parades, mass meetings, caucuses, and will soon 

 shine on the stump. I observe, also, that he is not 

 far behind us in the observance of the fashions, and 

 that he is as good a church-goer, theatre-goer, and 

 pleasure-seeker generally, as his means will allow. 



As a bootblack or newsboy, he is an adept in all 

 the tricks of the trade; and as a fast young man 

 about town among his kind, he is worthy his white 

 prototype: the swagger, the impertinent look, the 

 coarse remark, the loud laugh, are all in the best 

 style. As a lounger and starer also, on the street 

 corners of a Sunday afternoon, he has taken his 

 degree. 



On the other hand, I know cases among our col- 

 ored brethren, plenty of them, of conscientious and 

 well-directed effort and industry in the worthiest 

 fields, in agriculture, in trade, in the mechanic arts, 

 that show the colored man has in him all the best 

 rudiments of a citizen of the States. 



