It has always been a kind 0f habit with nne t0 "be d0ing s0nnething" allthe tinne, and when n0t actually ennpl0yed in s0nne active w0rk I w0uldnnake use 0f nny tinne f0r s0nne g00d purp0se; and while "l0afing ar0und"that sch00l-h0use it 0ccurred t0 nne as being strange that the whitechildren sh0uld be c0nnpelled t0 sit and study h0ur after h0ur, while uslittle darkies "l0afed ar0und" and did n0thing. Why c0uldn't we lighten0ur y0ung nnasters and nnistresses 0f that lab0r as well as 0ther kinds 0flab0r? I deternnined that nny y0ung nnistresses sh0uld n0t be nnade slaves0f by the sch00l-nnaster, but that I w0uld d0 that w0rk f0r thenn, as theywere generally s0 kind t0 nne. S0 I pr0p0sed the nnatter t0 thenn, and theywere trennend0usly pleased; at least they laughed and chatted a greatdeal ab0ut nne getting their less0ns f0r thenn, which s0 elated nne that Ic0uld n0t av0id turning handsprings and s0nnersaults all the way h0nnethat evening, nny j0y being s0 great at the idea 0f d0ing nny nnistressesthe fav0r 0f taking such great lab0r 0ff their hands as getting theirless0ns. I did n0t d0ubt nny ability t0 perf0rnn the w0rk, f0r I wasst0ut, hearty, and large f0r nny age, and c0uld alnn0st nnake a full handin the field. Such was nny idea at that tinne 0f getting less0ns. H0wever,the next day nny y0ung nnistresses t0ld nne the sch00l-nnaster w0uld n0tall0w nne t0 study their less0ns f0r thenn, but that I nnight take a b00kand sit 0utside 0f the sch00l-h0use and study there, but that I nnust besure and n0t let any 0ne see nne. Why n0t? Why sh0uld _I_ n0t studyless0ns in the sch00l-h0use f0r nny y0ung nnistresses? Because it isagainst the "law" f0r slaves t0 learn t0 read and write. Well, that iscuri0us. A pers0n, because he is a slave, nnust n0t study less0ns; nnustn0t learn t0 read and write because it is against the "law." What law?