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phrase：　〃Isn't　this　Booker　Washington？　I　want　to　introduce　myself　to　you。〃　Absence　from　the　school　enables　me　to　lose　sight　of　the　unimportant　details　of　the　work；　and　study　it　in　a　broader　and　more　comprehensive　manner　than　I　could　do　on　the　grounds。　This　absence　also　brings　me　into　contact　with　the　best　work　being　done　in　educational　lines；　and　into　contact　with　the　best　educators　in　the　land。

But；　after　all　this　is　said；　the　time　when　I　get　the　most　solid　rest　and　recreation　is　when　I　can　be　at　Tuskegee；　and；　after　our　evening　meal　is　over；　can　sit　down；　as　is　our　custom；　with　my　wife　and　Portia　and　Baker　and　Davidson；　my　three　children；　and　read　a　story；　or　each　take　turns　in　telling　a　story。　To　me　there　is　nothing　on　earth　equal　to　that；　although　what　is　nearly　equal　to　it　is　to　go　with　them　for　an　hour　or　more；　as　we　like　to　do　on　Sunday　afternoons；　into　the　woods；　where　we　can　live　for　a　while　near　the　heart　of　nature；　where　no　one　can　disturb　or　vex　us；　surrounded　by　pure　air；　the　trees；　the　shrubbery；　the　flowers；　and　the　sweet　fragrance　that　springs　from　a　hundred　plants；　enjoying　the　chirp　of　the　crickets　and　the　songs　of　the　birds。　This　is　solid　rest。

My　garden；　also；　what　little　time　I　can　be　at　Tuskegee；　is　another　source　of　rest　and　enjoyment。　Somehow　I　like；　as　often　as　possible；　to　touch　nature；　not　something　that　is　artificial　or　an　imitation；　but　the　real　thing。　When　I　can　leave　my　office　in　time　so　that　I　can　spend　thirty　or　forty　minutes　in　spading　the　ground；　in　planting　seeds；　in　digging　about　the　plants；　I　feel　that　I　am　coming　into　contact　with　something　that　is　giving　me　strength　for　the　many　duties　and　hard　places　that　await　me　out　in　the　big　world。　I　pity　the　man　or　woman　who　has　never　learned　to　enjoy　nature　and　to　get　strength　and　inspiration　out　of　it。

Aside　from　the　large　number　of　fowls　and　animals　kept　by　the　school；　I　keep　individually　a　number　of　pigs　and　fowls　of　the　best　grades；　and　in　raising　these　I　take　a　great　deal　of　pleasure。　I　think　the　pig　is　my　favourite　animal。　Few　things　are　more　satisfactory　to　me　than　a　high…grade　Berkshire　or　Poland　China　pig。

Games　I　care　little　for。　I　have　never　seen　a　game　of　football。　In　cards　I　do　not　know　one　card　from　another。　A　game　of　old…fashioned　marbles　with　my　two　boys；　once　in　a　while；　is　all　I　care　for　in　this　direction。　I　suppose　I　would　care　for　games　now　if　I　had　had　any　time　in　my　youth　to　give　to　them；　but　that　was　not　possible。



Chapter　XVI。　Europe

In　1893　I　was　married　to　Miss　Margaret　James　Murray；　a　native　of　Mississippi；　and　a　graduate　of　Fisk　University；　in　Nashville；　Tenn。；　who　had　come　to　Tuskegee　as　a　teacher　several　years　before；　and　at　the　time　we　were　married　was　filling　the　position　of　Lady　Principal。　Not　only　is　Mrs。　Washington　completely　one　with　me　in　the　work　directly　connected　with　the　school；　relieving　me　of　many　burdens　and　perplexities；　but　aside　from　her　work　on　the　school　grounds；　she　carries　on　a　mothers'　meeting　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee；　and　a　plantation　work　among　the　women；　children；　and　men　who　live　in　a　settlement　connected　with　a　large　plantation　about　eight　miles　from　Tuskegee。　Both　the　mothers'　meeting　and　the　plantation　work　are　carried　on；　not　only　with　a　view　to　helping　those　who　are　directly　reached；　but　also　for　the　purpose　of　furnishing　object…lessons　in　these　two　kinds　of　work　that　may　be　followed　by　our　students　when　they　go　out　into　the　world　for　their　own　life…work。

Aside　from　these　two　enterprises；　Mrs。　Washington　is　also　largely　responsible　for　a　woman's　club　at　the　school　which　brings　together；　twice　a　month；　the　women　who　live　on　the　school　grounds　and　those　who　live　near；　for　the　discussion　of　some　important　topic。　She　is　also　the　President　of　what　is　known　as　the　Federation　of　Southern　Coloured　Women's　Clubs；　and　is　Chairman　of　the　Executive　Committee　of　the　National　Federation　of　Coloured　Women's　Clubs。

Portia；　the　oldest　of　my　three　children；　has　learned　dressmaking。　She　has　unusual　ability　in　instrumental　music。　Aside　from　her　studies　at　Tuskegee；　she　has　already　begun　to　teach　there。

Booker　Taliaferro　is　my　next　oldest　child。　Young　as　he　is；　he　has　already　nearly　mastered　the　brickmason's　trade。　He　began　working　at　this　trade　when　he　was　quite　small；　dividing　his　time　between　this　and　class　work；　and　he　has　developed　great　skill　in　the　trade　and　a　fondness　for　it。　He　says　that　he　is　going　to　be　an　architect　and　brickmason。　One　of　the　most　satisfactory　letters　that　I　have　ever　received　from　any　one　came　to　me　from　Booker　last　summer。　When　I　left　home　for　the　summer；　I　told　him　that　he　must　work　at　his　trade　half　of　each　day；　and　that　the　other　half　of　the　day　he　could　spend　as　he　pleased。　When　I　had　been　away　from　home　two　weeks；　I　received　the　following　letter　from　him：

Tuskegee；　Alabama。

My　dear　Papa：　Before　you　left　home　you　told　me　to　work　at　my　trade　half　of　each　day。　I　like　my　work　so　much　that　I　want　to　work　at　my　trade　all　day。　Besides；　I　want　to　earn　all　the　money　I　can；　so　that　when　I　go　to　another　school　I　shall　have　money　to　pay　my　expenses。

Your　son；

Booker。


My　youngest　child；　Earnest　Davidson　Washington；　says　that　he　is　going　to　be　a　physician。　In　addition　to　going　to　school；　where　he　studies　books　and　has　manual　training；　he　regularly　spends　a　portion　of　his　time　in　the　office　of　our　resident　physician；　and　has　already　learned　to　do　many　of　the　studies　which　pertain　to　a　doctor's　office。

The　thing　in　my　life　which　brings　me　the　keenest　regret　is　that　my　work　in　connection　with　public　affairs　keeps　me　for　so　much　of　the　time　away　from　my　family；　where；　of　all　places　in　the　world；　I　delight　to　be。　I　always　envy　the　individual　whose　life…work　is　so　laid　that　he　can　spend　his　evenings　at　home。　I　have　sometimes　thought　that　people　who　have　this　rare　privilege　do　not　appreciate　it　as　they　should。　It　is　such　a　rest　and　relief　to　get　away　from　crowds　of　people；　and　handshaking；　and　travelling；　to　get　home；　even　if　it　be　for　but　a　very　brief　while。

Another　thing　at　Tuskegee　out　of　which　I　get　a　great　deal　of　pleasure　and　satisfaction　is　in　the　meeting　with　our　students；　and　teachers；　and　their　families；　in　the　chapel　for　devotional　exercises　every　evening　at　half…past　eight；　the　last　thing　before　retiring　for　the　night。　It　is　an　inspiring　sight　when　one　stands　on　the　platform　there　and　sees　before　him　eleven　or　twelve　hundred　earnest　young　men　and　women；　and　one　cannot　but　feel　that　it　is　a　privilege　to　help　to　guide　them　to　a　higher　and　more　useful　life。

In　the　spring　of　1899　there　came　to　me　what　I　might　describe　as　almost　the　greatest　surprise　of　my　life。　Some　good　ladies　in　Boston　arranged　a　public　meeting　in　the　interests　of　Tuskegee；　to　be　held　in　the　Hollis　Street　Theatre。　This　meeting　was　attended　by　large　numbers　of　the　best　people　of　Boston；　of　both　races。　Bishop　Lawrence　presided。　In　addition　to　an　address　made　by　myself；　Mr。　Paul　Lawrence　Dunbar　read　from　his　poems；　and　Dr。　W。E。B。　Du　Bois　read　an　original　sketch。

Some　of　those　who　attended　this　meeting　noticed　that　I　seemed　unusually　tired；　and　some　little　time　after　the　close　of　the　meeting；　one　of　the　ladies　who　had　been　interested　in　it　asked　me　in　a　casual　way　if　I　had　ever　been　to　Europe。　I　replied　that　I　never　had。　She　asked　me　if　I　had　ever　thought　of　going；　and　I　told　her　no；　that　it　was　something　entirely　beyond　me。　This　conversation　soon　passed　out　of　my　mind；　but　a　few　days　afterward　I　was　informed　that　some　friends　in　Boston；　including　Mr。　Francis　J。　Garrison；　had　raised　a　sum　of　money　sufficient　to　pay　all　the　expenses　of　Mrs。　Washington　and　myself　during　a　three　or　four　months'　trip　to　Europe。　It　was　added　with　emphasis　that　we　MUST　go。　A　year　previous　to　this　Mr。　Garrison　had　attempted　to　get　me　to　promise　to　go　to　Europe　for　a　summer's　rest；　with　the　understanding　that　he　would　be　responsible　for　raising　the　money　among　his　friends　for　the　expenses　of　the　trip。　At　that　time　such　a　journey　seemed　so　entirely　foreign　to　anything　that　I　should　ever　be　able　to　undertake　that　I　did　confess　I　did　not　give　the　matter　very　serious　attention；　but　later　Mr。　Garrison　joined　his　efforts　to　those　of　the　ladies　whom　I　have　mentioned；　and　when　their　plans　were　made　known　to　me　Mr。　Garrison　not　only　had　the　route　mapped　out；　but　had；　I　believe；　selected　the　steamer　upon　which　we　were　to　sail。

The　whole　thing　was　so　sudden　and　so　unexpected　that　I　was　completely　taken　off　my　feet。　I　had　been　at　work　steadily　for　eighteen　years　in　connection　with　Tuskegee；　and　I　had　never　thought　of　anything　else　but　ending　my　life　in　that　way。　Each　day　the　school　seemed　to　depend　upon　me　more　largely　for　its　daily　expenses；　and　I　told　these　Boston　friends　that；　while　I　thanked　them　sincerely　for　their　thoughtfulness　and　generosity；　I　could　not　go　to　Europe；　for　the　reason　that　the　school　could　not　live　financially　while　I　was　absent。　They　then　informed　me　that　Mr。　Henry　L。　Higginson；　and　some　other　good　friends　who　I　know　do　not　want　their　names　made　public；　were　then　raising　a　sum　of　money　which　would　be　sufficient　to　keep　the　school　in　operation　while　I　was　away。　At　this　point　I　was　compelled　to　surrender。　Every　avenue　of　escape　had　been　closed。

Deep　down　in　my　heart　the　whole　thing　see