up from slavery-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


through　the　North；　and　hold　meetings　for　a　month　in　important　cities；　at　which　meetings　he　and　I　were　to　speak。　Imagine　my　surprise　when　the　General　told　me；　further；　that　these　meetings　were　to　be　held；　not　in　the　interests　of　Hampton；　but　in　the　interests　of　Tuskegee；　and　that　the　Hampton　Institute　was　to　be　responsible　for　all　the　expenses。

Although　he　never　told　me　so　in　so　many　words；　I　found　that　General　Armstrong　took　this　method　of　introducing　me　to　the　people　of　the　North；　as　well　as　for　the　sake　of　securing　some　immediate　funds　to　be　used　in　the　erection　of　Alabama　Hall。　A　weak　and　narrow　man　would　have　reasoned　that　all　the　money　which　came　to　Tuskegee　in　this　way　would　be　just　so　much　taken　from　the　Hampton　Institute；　but　none　of　these　selfish　or　short…sighted　feelings　ever　entered　the　breast　of　General　Armstrong。　He　was　too　big　to　be　little；　too　good　to　be　mean。　He　knew　that　the　people　in　the　North　who　gave　money　gave　it　for　the　purpose　of　helping　the　whole　cause　of　Negro　civilization；　and　not　merely　for　the　advancement　of　any　one　school。　The　General　knew；　too；　that　the　way　to　strengthen　Hampton　was　to　make　it　a　centre　of　unselfish　power　in　the　working　out　of　the　whole　Southern　problem。

In　regard　to　the　addresses　which　I　was　to　make　in　the　North；　I　recall　just　one　piece　of　advice　which　the　General　gave　me。　He　said：　〃Give　them　an　idea　for　every　word。〃　I　think　it　would　be　hard　to　improve　upon　this　advice；　and　it　might　be　made　to　apply　to　all　public　speaking。　From　that　time　to　the　present　I　have　always　tried　to　keep　his　advice　in　mind。

Meetings　were　held　in　New　York；　Brooklyn；　Boston；　Philadelphia；　and　other　large　cities；　and　at　all　of　these　meetings　General　Armstrong　pleased；　together　with　myself；　for　help；　not　for　Hampton；　but　for　Tuskegee。　At　these　meetings　an　especial　effort　was　made　to　secure　help　for　the　building　of　Alabama　Hall；　as　well　as　to　introduce　the　school　to　the　attention　of　the　general　public。　In　both　these　respects　the　meetings　proved　successful。

After　that　kindly　introduction　I　began　going　North　alone　to　secure　funds。　During　the　last　fifteen　years　I　have　been　compelled　to　spend　a　large　proportion　of　my　time　away　from　the　school；　in　an　effort　to　secure　money　to　provide　for　the　growing　needs　of　the　institution。　In　my　efforts　to　get　funds　I　have　had　some　experiences　that　may　be　of　interest　to　my　readers。　Time　and　time　again　I　have　been　asked；　by　people　who　are　trying　to　secure　money　for　philanthropic　purposes；　what　rule　or　rules　I　followed　to　secure　the　interest　and　help　of　people　who　were　able　to　contribute　money　to　worthy　objects。　As　far　as　the　science　of　what　is　called　begging　can　be　reduced　to　rules；　I　would　say　that　I　have　had　but　two　rules。　First；　always　to　do　my　whole　duty　regarding　making　our　work　known　to　individuals　and　organizations；　and；　second；　not　to　worry　about　the　results。　This　second　rule　has　been　the　hardest　for　me　to　live　up　to。　When　bills　are　on　the　eve　of　falling　due；　with　not　a　dollar　in　hand　with　which　to　meet　them；　it　is　pretty　difficult　to　learn　not　to　worry；　although　I　think　I　am　learning　more　and　more　each　year　that　all　worry　simply　consumes；　and　to　no　purpose；　just　so　much　physical　and　mental　strength　that　might　otherwise　be　given　to　effective　work。　After　considerable　experience　in　coming　into　contact　with　wealthy　and　noted　men；　I　have　observed　that　those　who　have　accomplished　the　greatest　results　are　those　who　〃keep　under　the　body〃；　are　those　who　never　grow　excited　or　lose　self…control；　but　are　always　calm；　self…possessed；　patient；　and　polite。　I　think　that　President　William　McKinley　is　the　best　example　of　a　man　of　this　class　that　I　have　ever　seen。

In　order　to　be　successful　in　any　kind　of　undertaking；　I　think　the　main　thing　is　for　one　to　grow　to　the　point　where　he　completely　forgets　himself；　that　is；　to　lose　himself　in　a　great　cause。　In　proportion　as　one　loses　himself　in　the　way；　in　the　same　degree　does　he　get　the　highest　happiness　out　of　his　work。

My　experience　in　getting　money　for　Tuskegee　has　taught　me　to　have　no　patience　with　those　people　who　are　always　condemning　the　rich　because　they　are　rich；　and　because　they　do　not　give　more　to　objects　of　charity。　In　the　first　place；　those　who　are　guilty　of　such　sweeping　criticisms　do　not　know　how　many　people　would　be　made　poor；　and　how　much　suffering　would　result；　if　wealthy　people　were　to　part　all　at　once　with　any　large　proportion　of　their　wealth　in　a　way　to　disorganize　and　cripple　great　business　enterprises。　Then　very　few　persons　have　any　idea　of　the　large　number　of　applications　for　help　that　rich　people　are　constantly　being　flooded　with。　I　know　wealthy　people　who　receive　as　much　as　twenty　calls　a　day　for　help。　More　than　once　when　I　have　gone　into　the　offices　of　rich　men；　I　have　found　half　a　dozen　persons　waiting　to　see　them；　and　all　come　for　the　same　purpose；　that　of　securing　money。　And　all　these　calls　in　person；　to　say　nothing　of　the　applications　received　through　the　mails。　Very　few　people　have　any　idea　of　the　amount　of　money　given　away　by　persons　who　never　permit　their　names　to　be　known。　I　have　often　heard　persons　condemned　for　not　giving　away　money；　who；　to　my　own　knowledge；　were　giving　away　thousands　of　dollars　every　year　so　quietly　that　the　world　knew　nothing　about　it。

As　an　example　of　this；　there　are　two　ladies　in　New　York；　whose　names　rarely　appear　in　print；　but　who；　in　a　quiet　way；　have　given　us　the　means　with　which　to　erect　three　large　and　important　buildings　during　the　last　eight　years。　Besides　the　gift　of　these　buildings；　they　have　made　other　generous　donations　to　the　school。　And　they　not　only　help　Tuskegee；　but　they　are　constantly　seeking　opportunities　to　help　other　worthy　causes。

Although　it　has　been　my　privilege　to　be　the　medium　through　which　a　good　many　hundred　thousand　dollars　have　been　received　for　the　work　at　Tuskegee；　I　have　always　avoided　what　the　world　calls　〃begging。〃　I　often　tell　people　that　I　have　never　〃begged〃　any　money；　and　that　I　am　not　a　〃beggar。〃　My　experience　and　observation　have　convinced　me　that　persistent　asking　outright　for　money　from　the　rich　does　not；　as　a　rule；　secure　help。　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