in the house, perhaps Dr. Campbell could find something in
them that would help pass the time for a while for him. All right,
Dr. Campbell said, that would be better than just sitting there
with nothing. Dr. Campbell began to read through the old papers that
Melanctha gave him. When anything amused him in them, he read it out
to Melanctha. Melanctha was now pretty silent, with him. Dr. Campbell
began to feel a little, about how she responded to him. Dr. Campbell
began to see a little that perhaps Melanctha had a good mind. Dr.
Campbell was not sure yet that she had a good mind, but he began to
think a little that perhaps she might have one.

Jefferson Campbell always liked to talk to everybody about the things
he worked at and about his thinking about what he could do for the
colored people. Melanctha Herbert never thought about these things the
way that he did. Melanctha had never said much to Dr. Campbell about
what she thought about them. Melanctha did not feel the same as he did
about being good and regular in life, and not having excitements
all the time, which was the way that Jefferson Campbell wanted that
everybody should be, so that everybody would be wise and yet be happy.
Melanctha always had strong the sense for real experience. Melanctha
Herbert did not think much of this way of coming to real wisdom.

Dr. Campbell soon got through with his reading, in the old newspapers,
and then somehow he began to talk along about the things he was
always thinking. Dr. Campbell said he wanted to work so that he could
understand what troubled people, and not to just have excitements, and
he believed you ought to love your father and your mother and to be
regular in all your life, and not to be always wanting new things and
excitements, and to always know where you were, and what you wanted,
and to always tell everything just as you meant it. That's the only
kind of life he knew or believed in, Jeff Campbell repeated. "No I
ain't got any use for all the time being in excitements and wanting to
have all kinds of experience all the time. I got plenty of experience
just living regular and quiet and with my family, and doing my work,
and taking care of people, and trying to understand it. I don't
believe much in this running around business and I. don't want to see
the colored people do it. I am a colored man and I ain't sorry, and I
want to see the colored people like what is good and what I want
them to have, and that's to