up from slavery-第31章

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lp。　I　have　usually　proceeded　on　the　principle　that　persons　who　possess　sense　enough　to　earn　money　have　sense　enough　to　know　how　to　give　it　away；　and　that　the　mere　making　known　of　the　facts　regarding　Tuskegee；　and　especially　the　facts　regarding　the　work　of　the　graduates；　has　been　more　effective　than　outright　begging。　I　think　that　the　presentation　of　facts；　on　a　high；　dignified　plane；　is　all　the　begging　that　most　rich　people　care　for。

While　the　work　of　going　from　door　to　door　and　from　office　to　office　is　hard；　disagreeable；　and　costly　in　bodily　strength；　yet　it　has　some　compensations。　Such　work　gives　one　a　rare　opportunity　to　study　human　nature。　It　also　has　its　compensations　in　giving　one　an　opportunity　to　meet　some　of　the　best　people　in　the　worldto　be　more　correct；　I　think　I　should　say　the　best　people　in　the　world。　When　one　takes　a　broad　survey　of　the　country；　he　will　find　that　the　most　useful　and　influential　people　in　it　are　those　who　take　the　deepest　interest　in　institutions　that　exist　for　the　purpose　of　making　the　world　better。

At　one　time；　when　I　was　in　Boston；　I　called　at　the　door　of　a　rather　wealthy　lady；　and　was　admitted　to　the　vestibule　and　sent　up　my　card。　While　I　was　waiting　for　an　answer；　her　husband　came　in；　and　asked　me　in　the　most　abrupt　manner　what　I　wanted。　When　I　tried　to　explain　the　object　of　my　call；　he　became　still　more　ungentlemanly　in　his　words　and　manner；　and　finally　grew　so　excited　that　I　left　the　house　without　waiting　for　a　reply　from　the　lady。　A　few　blocks　from　that　house　I　called　to　see　a　gentleman　who　received　me　in　the　most　cordial　manner。　He　wrote　me　his　check　for　a　generous　sum；　and　then；　before　I　had　had　an　opportunity　to　thank　him；　said：　〃I　am　so　grateful　to　you；　Mr。　Washington；　for　giving　me　the　opportunity　to　help　a　good　cause。　It　is　a　privilege　to　have　a　share　in　it。　We　in　Boston　are　constantly　indebted　to　you　for　doing　our　work。〃　My　experience　in　securing　money　convinces　me　that　the　first　type　of　man　is　growing　more　rare　all　the　time；　and　that　the　latter　type　is　increasing；　that　is；　that；　more　and　more；　rich　people　are　coming　to　regard　men　and　women　who　apply　to　them　for　help　for　worthy　objects；　not　as　beggars；　but　as　agents　for　doing　their　work。

In　the　city　of　Boston　I　have　rarely　called　upon　an　individual　for　funds　that　I　have　not　been　thanked　for　calling；　usually　before　I　could　get　an　opportunity　to　thank　the　donor　for　the　money。　In　that　city　the　donors　seem　to　feel；　in　a　large　degree；　that　an　honour　is　being　conferred　upon　them　in　their　being　permitted　to　give。　Nowhere　else　have　I　met　with；　in　so　large　a　measure；　this　fine　and　Christlike　spirit　as　in　the　city　of　Boston；　although　there　are　many　notable　instances　of　it　outside　that　city。　I　repeat　my　belief　that　the　world　is　growing　in　the　direction　of　giving。　I　repeat　that　the　main　rule　by　which　I　have　been　guided　in　collecting　money　is　to　do　my　full　duty　in　regard　to　giving　people　who　have　money　an　opportunity　for　help。

In　the　early　years　of　the　Tuskegee　school　I　walked　the　streets　or　travelled　country　roads　in　the　North　for　days　and　days　without　receiving　a　dollar。　Often　as　it　happened；　when　during　the　week　I　had　been　disappointed　in　not　getting　a　cent　from　the　very　individuals　from　whom　I　most　expected　help；　and　when　I　was　almost　broken　down　and　discouraged；　that　generous　help　has　come　from　some　one　who　I　had　had　little　idea　would　give　at　all。

I　recall　that　on　one　occasion　I　obtained　information　that　led　me　to　believe　that　a　gentleman　who　lived　about　two　miles　out　in　the　country　from　Stamford；　Conn。；　might　become　interest　in　our　efforts　at　Tuskegee　if　our　conditions　and　needs　were　presented　to　him。　On　an　unusually　cold　and　stormy　day　I　walked　the　two　miles　to　see　him。　After　some　difficulty　I　succeeded　in　securing　an　interview　with　him。　He　listened　with　some　degree　of　interest　to　what　I　had　to　say；　but　did　not　give　me　anything。　I　could　not　help　having　the　feeling　that；　in　a　measure；　the　three　hours　that　I　had　spent　in　seeing　him　had　been　thrown　away。　Still；　I　had　followed　my　usual　rule　of　doing　my　duty。　If　I　had　not　seen　him；　I　should　have　felt　unhappy　over　neglect　of　duty。

Two　years　after　this　visit　a　letter　came　to　Tuskegee　from　this　man；　which　read　like　this：　〃Enclosed　I　send　you　a　New　York　draft　for　ten　thousand　dollars；　to　be　used　in　furtherance　of　your　work。　I　had　placed　this　sum　in　my　will　for　your　school；　but　deem　it　wiser　to　give　it　to　you　while　I　live。　I　recall　with　pleasure　your　visit　to　me　two　years　ago。〃

I　can　hardly　imagine　any　occurrence　which　could　have　given　me　more　genuine　satisfaction　than　the　receipt　of　this　draft。　It　was　by　far　the　largest　single　donation　which　up　to　that　time　the　school　had　ever　received。　It　came　at　a　time　when　an　unusually　long　period　had　passed　since　we　had　received　any　money。　We　were　in　great　distress　because　of　lack　of　funds；　and　the　nervous　strain　was　tremendous。　It　is　difficult　for　me　to　think　of　any　situation　that　is　more　trying　on　the　nerves　than　that　of　conducting　a　large　institution；　with　heavy　obligations　to　meet；　without　knowing　where　the　money　is　to　come　from　to　meet　these　obligations　from　month　to　month。

In　our　case　I　felt　a　double　responsibility；　and　this　made　the　anxiety　all　the　more　intense。　If　the　institution　had　been　officered　by　white　persons；　and　had　failed；　it　would　have　injured　the　cause　of　Negro　education；　but　I　knew　that　the　failure　of　our　institution；　officered　by　Negroes；　would　not　only　mean　the　loss　of　a　school；　but　would　cause　people；　in　a　large　degree；　to　lose　faith　in　the　ability　of　the　entire　race。　The　receipt　of　this　draft　for　ten　thousand　dollars；　under　all　these　circumstances；　partially　lifted　a　burden　that　had　been　pressing　down　upon　me　for　days。

From　the　beginning　of　our　work　to　the　present　I　have　always　had　the　feeling；　and　lose　no　opportunity　to　impress　our　teachers　with　the　same　idea；　that　the　school　will　always　be　supported　in　proportion　as　the　inside　of　the　institution　is　kept　clean　and　pure　and　wholesome。

The　first　time　I　ever　saw　the　late　Collis　P。　Huntington；　the　great　railroad　man；　he　gave　me　two　dollars　for　our　school。　The　last　time　I　saw　him；　which　was　a　few　months　before　he　died；　he　gave　me　fifty　thousand　dollars　toward　our　endowment　fund。　Between　these　two　gifts　there　were　others　of　generous　proportions　which　came　every　year　from　both　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Huntington。

Some　people　may　say　that　it　was　Tuskegee's　good　luck　that　brought　to　us　this　gift　of　fifty　thousand　dollars。　No；　it　was　not　luck。　It　was　hard　work。　Nothing　ever　comes　to　me；　that　is　worth　having；　except　as　the　result　of　hard　work。　When　Mr。　Huntington　gave　me　the　first　two　dollars；　I　did　not　blame　him　for　not　giving　me　more；　but　made　up　my　mind　that　I　was　going　to　convince　him　by　tangible　results　that　we　were　worthy　of　larger　gifts。　For　a　dozen　years　I　made　a　strong　effort　to　convince　Mr。　Huntington　of　the　value　of　our　work。　I　noted　that　just　in　proportion　as　the　usefulness　of　the　school　grew；　his　donations　increased。　Never　did　I　meet　an　individual　who　took　a　more　kindly　and　sympathetic　interest　in　our　school　than　did　Mr。　Huntington。　He　not　only　gave　money　to　us；　but　took　time　in　which　to　advise　me；　as　a　father　would　a　son；　about　the　general　conduct　of　the　school。

More　than　once　I　have　found　myself　in　some　pretty　tight　places　while　collecting　money　in　the　North。　The　following　incident　I　have　never　related　but　once　before；　for　the　reason　that　I　feared　that　people　would　not　believe　it。　One　morning　I　found　myself　in　Providence；　Rhode　Island；　without　a　cent　of　money　with　which　to　buy　breakfast。　In　crossing　the　street　to　see　a　lady　from　whom　I　hoped　to　get　some　money；　I　found　a　bright　new　twenty…five…cent　piece　in　the　middle　of　the　street　track。　I　not　only　had　this　twenty…five　cents　for　my　breakfast；　but　within　a　few　minutes　I　had　a　donation　from　the　lady　on　whom　I　had　started　to　call。

At　one　of　our　Commencements　I　was　bold　enough　to　invite　the　Rev。　E。　Winchester　Donald；　D。D。；　rector　of　Trinity　Church；　Boston；　to　preach　the　Commencement　sermon。　As　we　then　had　no　room　large　enough　to　accommodate　all　who　would　be　present；　the　place　of　meeting　was　under　a　large　improvised　arbour；　built　partly　of　brush　and　partly　of　rough　boards。　Soon　after　Dr。　Donald　had　begun　speaking；　the