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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 Negroes
straggle up to that stinking cesspool of a place called
Washington？ What difference does it make？ What do a few
people matter—a few thousand people； black； white； good or
bad？ When the whole of our society is built on a foundation of
black lies。'
'Everything！' Doctor Copeland panted。 'Everything！
Everything！
'Nothing！'
〃The soul of the meanest and most evil of us on this earth is
worth more in the sight of justice than'
'Oh； the Hell with it！' Jake said。 'Balls！'
'Blasphemer！' screamed Doctor Copeland。 'Foul blasphemer！'
Jake shook the iron bars of the bed。 The vein in his forehead
swelled to the point of bursting and his face was dark with
rage。 'Short…sighted bigot！'262
'White' Doctor Copeland's voice failed him。 He
struggled and no sound would come。 At last he was able to
bring forth a choked whisper： 'Fiend。'
The bright yellow morning was at the window。 Doctor
Copeland's head fell back on the pillow。 His neck twisted at a
broken angle； a fleck of bloody foam on his lips。 Jake looked
at him once before； sobbing with violence； he rushed headlong
from the room。
14
N《
ow she could not stay in the inside room。 She had to be around
somebody all the time。 Doing something every minute。 And if
she was by herself she counted or figured with numbers。 She
counted all the roses on the living…room wall…paper。 She
figured out the cubic area of the whole house。 She counted
every blade of grass in the back yard and every leaf on a
certain bush。 Because if she did not have her mind on numbers
this terrible afraidness came in her。 She would be walking
home from school on these May afternoons and suddenly she
would have to think of something quick。 A good thing—very
good。 Maybe she would think about a phrase of hurrying jazz
music。 Or that a bowl of jello would be in the refrigerator
when she got home。 Or plan to smoke a cigarette behind the
coal house。 Maybe she would try to think a long way ahead to