up from slavery-第27章

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　no　trouble　in　being　accommodated　at　a　hotel。

We　were　successful　in　getting　money　enough　so　that　on　Thanksgiving　Day　of　that　year　we　held　our　first　service　in　the　chapel　of　Porter　Hall；　although　the　building　was　not　completed。

In　looking　about　for　some　one　to　preach　the　Thanksgiving　sermon；　I　found　one　of　the　rarest　men　that　it　has　ever　been　my　privilege　to　know。　This　was　the　Rev。　Robert　C。　Bedford；　a　white　man　from　Wisconsin；　who　was　then　pastor　of　a　little　coloured　Congregational　church　in　Montgomery；　Ala。　Before　going　to　Montgomery　to　look　for　some　one　to　preach　this　sermon　I　had　never　heard　of　Mr。　Bedford。　He　had　never　heard　of　me。　He　gladly　consented　to　come　to　Tuskegee　and　hold　the　Thanksgiving　service。　It　was　the　first　service　of　the　kind　that　the　coloured　people　there　had　ever　observed；　and　what　a　deep　interest　they　manifested　in　it！　The　sight　of　the　new　building　made　it　a　day　of　Thanksgiving　for　them　never　to　be　forgotten。

Mr。　Bedford　consented　to　become　one　of　the　trustees　of　the　school；　and　in　that　capacity；　and　as　a　worker　for　it；　he　has　been　connected　with　it　for　eighteen　years。　During　this　time　he　has　borne　the　school　upon　his　heart　night　and　day；　and　is　never　so　happy　as　when　he　is　performing　some　service；　no　matter　how　humble；　for　it。　He　completely　obliterates　himself　in　everything；　and　looks　only　for　permission　to　serve　where　service　is　most　disagreeable；　and　where　others　would　not　be　attracted。　In　all　my　relations　with　him　he　has　seemed　to　me　to　approach　as　nearly　to　the　spirit　of　the　Master　as　almost　any　man　I　ever　met。

A　little　later　there　came　into　the　service　of　the　school　another　man；　quite　young　at　the　time；　and　fresh　from　Hampton；　without　whose　service　the　school　never　could　have　become　what　it　is。　This　was　Mr。　Warren　Logan；　who　now　for　seventeen　years　has　been　the　treasurer　of　the　Institute；　and　the　acting　principal　during　my　absence。　He　has　always　shown　a　degree　of　unselfishness　and　an　amount　of　business　tact；　coupled　with　a　clear　judgment；　that　has　kept　the　school　in　good　condition　no　matter　how　long　I　have　been　absent　from　it。　During　all　the　financial　stress　through　which　the　school　has　passed；　his　patience　and　faith　in　our　ultimate　success　have　not　left　him。

As　soon　as　our　first　building　was　near　enough　to　completion　so　that　we　could　occupy　a　portion　of　itwhich　was　near　the　middle　of　the　second　year　of　the　schoolwe　opened　a　boarding　department。　Students　had　begun　coming　from　quite　a　distance；　and　in　such　increasing　numbers　that　we　felt　more　and　more　that　we　were　merely　skimming　over　the　surface；　in　that　we　were　not　getting　hold　of　the　students　in　their　home　life。

We　had　nothing　but　the　students　and　their　appetites　with　which　to　begin　a　boarding　department。　No　provision　had　been　made　in　the　new　building　for　a　kitchen　and　dining　room；　but　we　discovered　that　by　digging　out　a　large　amount　of　earth　from　under　the　building　we　could　make　a　partially　lighted　basement　room　that　could　be　used　for　a　kitchen　and　dining　room。　Again　I　called　on　the　students　to　volunteer　for　work；　this　time　to　assist　in　digging　out　the　basement。　This　they　did；　and　in　a　few　weeks　we　had　a　place　to　cook　and　eat　in；　although　it　was　very　rough　and　uncomfortable。　Any　one　seeing　the　place　now　would　never　believe　that　it　was　once　used　for　a　dining　room。

The　most　serious　problem；　though；　was　to　get　the　boarding　department　started　off　in　running　order；　with　nothing　to　do　with　in　the　way　of　furniture；　and　with　no　money　with　which　to　buy　anything。　The　merchants　in　the　town　would　let　us　have　what　food　we　wanted　on　credit。　In　fact；　in　those　earlier　years　I　was　constantly　embarrassed　because　people　seemed　to　have　more　faith　in　me　than　I　had　in　myself。　It　was　pretty　hard　to　cook；　however；　with　stoves；　and　awkward　to　eat　without　dishes。　At　first　the　cooking　was　done　out…of…doors；　in　the　old…fashioned；　primitive　style；　in　pots　and　skillets　placed　over　a　fire。　Some　of　the　carpenters'　benches　that　had　been　used　in　the　construction　of　the　building　were　utilized　for　tables。　As　for　dishes；　there　were　too　few　to　make　it　worth　while　to　spend　time　in　describing　them。

No　one　connected　with　the　boarding　department　seemed　to　have　any　idea　that　meals　must　be　served　at　certain　fixed　and　regular　hours；　and　this　was　a　source　of　great　worry。　Everything　was　so　out　of　joint　and　so　inconvenient　that　I　feel　safe　in　saying　that　for　the　first　two　weeks　something　was　wrong　at　every　meal。　Either　the　meat　was　not　done　or　had　been　burnt；　or　the　salt　had　been　left　out　of　the　bread；　or　the　tea　had　been　forgotten。

Early　one　morning　I　was　standing　near　the　dining…room　door　listening　to　the　complaints　of　the　students。　The　complaints　that　morning　were　especially　emphatic　and　numerous；　because　the　whole　breakfast　had　been　a　failure。　One　of　the　girls　who　had　failed　to　get　any　breakfast　came　out　and　went　to　the　well　to　draw　some　water　to　drink　and　take　the　place　of　the　breakfast　which　she　had　not　been　able　to　get。　When　she　reached　the　well；　she　found　that　the　rope　was　broken　and　that　she　could　get　no　water。　She　turned　from　the　well　and　said；　in　the　most　discouraged　tone；　not　knowing　that　I　was　where　I　could　hear　her；　〃We　can't　even　get　water　to　drink　at　this　school。〃　I　think　no　one　remark　ever　came　so　near　discouraging　me　as　that　one。

At　another　time；　when　Mr。　Bedfordwhom　I　have　already　spoken　of　as　one　of　our　trustees；　and　a　devoted　friend　of　the　institutionwas　visiting　the　school；　he　was　given　a　bedroom　immediately　over　the　dining　room。　Early　in　the　morning　he　was　awakened　by　a　rather　animated　discussion　between　two　boys　in　the　dining　room　below。　The　discussion　was　over　the　question　as　to　whose　turn　it　was　to　use　the　coffee…cup　that　morning。　One　boy　won　the　case　by　proving　that　for　three　mornings　he　had　not　had　an　opportunity　to　use　the　cup　at　all。

But　gradually；　with　patience　and　hard　work；　we　brought　order　out　of　chaos；　just　as　will　be　true　of　any　problem　if　we　stick　to　it　with　patience　and　wisdom　and　earnest　effort。

As　I　look　back　now　over　that　part　of　our　struggle；　I　am　glad　to　see　that　we　had　it。　I　am　glad　that　we　endured　all　those　discomforts　and　inconveniences。　I　am　glad　that　our　students　had　to　dig　out　the　place　for　their　kitchen　and　dining　room。　I　am　glad　that　our　first　boarding…place　was　in　the　dismal；　ill…lighted；　and　damp　basement。　Had　we　started　in　a　fine；　attractive；　convenient　room；　I　fear　we　would　have　〃lost　our　heads〃　and　become　〃stuck　up。〃　It　means　a　great　deal；　I　think；　to　start　off　on　a　foundation　which　one　has　made　for　one's　self。

When　our　old　students　return　to　Tuskegee　now；　as　they　often　do；　and　go　into　our　large；　beautiful；　well…ventilated；　and　well…lighted　dining　room；　and　see　tempting；　well…cooked　foodlargely　grown　by　the　students　themselvesand　see　tables；　neat　tablecloths　and　napkins；　and　vases　of　flowers　upon　the　tables；　and　hear　singing　birds；　and　note　that　each　meal　is　served　exactly　upon　the　minute；　with　no　disorder；　and　with　almost　no　complaint　coming　from　the　hundreds　that　now　fill　our　dining　room；　they；　too；　often　say　to　me　that　they　are　glad　that　we　started　as　we　did；　and　built　ourselves　up　year　by　year；　by　a　slow　and　natural　process　of　growth。



Chapter　XI。　Making　Their　Beds　Before　They　Could　Lie　On　Them

A　little　later　in　the　history　of　the　school　we　had　a　visit　from　General　J。F。B。　Marshall；　the　Treasurer　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　who　had　had　faith　enough　to　lend　us　the　first　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　with　which　to　make　a　payment　down　on　the　farm。　He　remained　with　us　a　week；　and　made　a　careful　inspection　of　everything。　He　seemed　well　pleased　with　our　progress；　and　wrote　back　interesting　and　encouraging　reports　to　Hampton。　A　little　later　Miss　Mary　F。　Mackie；　the　teacher　who　had　given　me　the　〃sweeping〃　examination　when　I　entered　Hampton；　came　to　see　us；　and　still　later　General　Armstrong　himself　came。

At　the　time　of　the　visits　of　these　Hampton　friends　the　number　of　teachers　at　Tuskegee　had　increase　considerably；　and　the　most　of　the　new　teachers　were　graduates　of　the　Hampton　Institute。　We　gave　our　Hampton　friends；　especially　General　Armstrong；　a　cordial　welcome。　They　were　all　surprised　and　pleased　at　the　rapid　progress　that　the　school　had　made　within　so　short　a　time。　The　coloured　people　from　miles　aro