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y　heart；　that　I　could　do　as　well　as　they；　if　I　could　only　get　a　chance　to　show　what　was　in　me。

After　some　hours　had　passed；　the　head　teacher　said　to　me：　〃The　adjoining　recitation…room　needs　sweeping。　Take　the　broom　and　sweep　it。〃

It　occurred　to　me　at　once　that　here　was　my　chance。　Never　did　I　receive　an　order　with　more　delight。　I　knew　that　I　could　sweep；　for　Mrs。　Ruffner　had　thoroughly　taught　me　how　to　do　that　when　I　lived　with　her。

I　swept　the　recitation…room　three　times。　Then　I　got　a　dusting…cloth　and　dusted　it　four　times。　All　the　woodwork　around　the　walls；　every　bench；　table；　and　desk；　I　went　over　four　times　with　my　dusting…cloth。　Besides；　every　piece　of　furniture　had　been　moved　and　every　closet　and　corner　in　the　room　had　been　thoroughly　cleaned。　I　had　the　feeling　that　in　a　large　measure　my　future　dependent　upon　the　impression　I　made　upon　the　teacher　in　the　cleaning　of　that　room。　When　I　was　through；　I　reported　to　the　head　teacher。　She　was　a　〃Yankee〃　woman　who　knew　just　where　to　look　for　dirt。　She　went　into　the　room　and　inspected　the　floor　and　closets；　then　she　took　her　handkerchief　and　rubbed　it　on　the　woodwork　about　the　walls；　and　over　the　table　and　benches。　When　she　was　unable　to　find　one　bit　of　dirt　on　the　floor；　or　a　particle　of　dust　on　any　of　the　furniture；　she　quietly　remarked；　〃I　guess　you　will　do　to　enter　this　institution。〃

I　was　one　of　the　happiest　souls　on　Earth。　The　sweeping　of　that　room　was　my　college　examination；　and　never　did　any　youth　pass　an　examination　for　entrance　into　Harvard　or　Yale　that　gave　him　more　genuine　satisfaction。　I　have　passed　several　examinations　since　then；　but　I　have　always　felt　that　this　was　the　best　one　I　ever　passed。

I　have　spoken　of　my　own　experience　in　entering　the　Hampton　Institute。　Perhaps　few；　if　any；　had　anything　like　the　same　experience　that　I　had；　but　about　the　same　period　there　were　hundreds　who　found　their　way　to　Hampton　and　other　institutions　after　experiencing　something　of　the　same　difficulties　that　I　went　through。　The　young　men　and　women　were　determined　to　secure　an　education　at　any　cost。

The　sweeping　of　the　recitation…room　in　the　manner　that　I　did　it　seems　to　have　paved　the　way　for　me　to　get　through　Hampton。　Miss　Mary　F。　Mackie；　the　head　teacher；　offered　me　a　position　as　janitor。　This；　of　course；　I　gladly　accepted；　because　it　was　a　place　where　I　could　work　out　nearly　all　the　cost　of　my　board。　The　work　was　hard　and　taxing　but　I　stuck　to　it。　I　had　a　large　number　of　rooms　to　care　for；　and　had　to　work　late　into　the　night；　while　at　the　same　time　I　had　to　rise　by　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　in　order　to　build　the　fires　and　have　a　little　time　in　which　to　prepare　my　lessons。　In　all　my　career　at　Hampton；　and　ever　since　I　have　been　out　in　the　world；　Miss　Mary　F。　Mackie；　the　head　teacher　to　whom　I　have　referred；　proved　one　of　my　strongest　and　most　helpful　friends。　Her　advice　and　encouragement　were　always　helpful　in　strengthening　to　me　in　the　darkest　hour。

I　have　spoken　of　the　impression　that　was　made　upon　me　by　the　buildings　and　general　appearance　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　but　I　have　not　spoken　of　that　which　made　the　greatest　and　most　lasting　impression　on　me；　and　that　was　a　great　manthe　noblest；　rarest　human　being　that　it　has　ever　been　my　privilege　to　meet。　I　refer　to　the　late　General　Samuel　C。　Armstrong。

It　has　been　my　fortune　to　meet　personally　many　of　what　are　called　great　characters；　both　in　Europe　and　America；　but　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　I　never　met　any　man　who；　in　my　estimation；　was　the　equal　of　General　Armstrong。　Fresh　from　the　degrading　influences　of　the　slave　plantation　and　the　coal…mines；　it　was　a　rare　privilege　for　me　to　be　permitted　to　come　into　direct　contact　with　such　a　character　as　General　Armstrong。　I　shall　always　remember　that　the　first　time　I　went　into　his　presence　he　made　the　impression　upon　me　of　being　a　perfect　man：　I　was　made　to　feel　that　there　was　something　about　him　that　was　superhuman。　It　was　my　privilege　to　know　the　General　personally　from　the　time　I　entered　Hampton　till　he　died；　and　the　more　I　saw　of　him　the　greater　he　grew　in　my　estimation。　One　might　have　removed　from　Hampton　all　the　buildings；　class…rooms；　teachers；　and　industries；　and　given　the　men　and　women　there　the　opportunity　of　coming　into　daily　contact　with　General　Armstrong；　and　that　alone　would　have　been　a　liberal　education。　The　older　I　grow；　the　more　I　am　convinced　that　there　is　no　education　which　one　can　get　from　books　and　costly　apparatus　that　is　equal　to　that　which　can　be　gotten　from　contact　with　great　men　and　women。　Instead　of　studying　books　so　constantly；　how　I　wish　that　our　schools　and　colleges　might　learn　to　study　men　and　things！

General　Armstrong　spent　two　of　the　last　six　months　of　his　life　in　my　home　at　Tuskegee。　At　that　time　he　was　paralyzed　to　the　extent　that　he　had　lost　control　of　his　body　and　voice　in　a　very　large　degree。　Notwithstanding　his　affliction；　he　worked　almost　constantly　night　and　day　for　the　cause　to　which　he　had　given　his　life。　I　never　saw　a　man　who　so　completely　lost　sight　of　himself。　I　do　not　believe　he　ever　had　a　selfish　thought。　He　was　just　as　happy　in　trying　to　assist　some　other　institution　in　the　South　as　he　was　when　working　for　Hampton。　Although　he　fought　the　Southern　white　man　in　the　Civil　War；　I　never　heard　him　utter　a　bitter　word　against　him　afterward。　On　the　other　hand；　he　was　constantly　seeking　to　find　ways　by　which　he　could　be　of　service　to　the　Southern　whites。

It　would　be　difficult　to　describe　the　hold　that　he　had　upon　the　students　at　Hampton；　or　the　faith　they　had　in　him。　In　fact；　he　was　worshipped　by　his　students。　It　never　occurred　to　me　that　General　Armstrong　could　fail　in　anything　that　he　undertook。　There　is　almost　no　request　that　he　could　have　made　that　would　not　have　been　complied　with。　When　he　was　a　guest　at　my　home　in　Alabama；　and　was　so　badly　paralyzed　that　he　had　to　be　wheeled　about　in　an　invalid's　chair；　I　recall　that　one　of　the　General's　former　students　had　occasion　to　push　his　chair　up　a　long；　steep　hill　that　taxed　his　strength　to　the　utmost。　When　the　top　of　the　hill　was　reached；　the　former　pupil；　with　a　glow　of　happiness　on　his　face；　exclaimed；　〃I　am　so　glad　that　I　have　been　permitted　to　do　something　that　was　real　hard　for　the　General　before　he　dies！〃　While　I　was　a　student　at　Hampton；　the　dormitories　became　so　crowded　that　it　was　impossible　to　find　room　for　all　who　wanted　to　be　admitted。　In　order　to　help　remedy　the　difficulty；　the　General　conceived　the　plan　of　putting　up　tents　to　be　used　as　rooms。　As　soon　as　it　became　known　that　General　Armstrong　would　be　pleased　if　some　of　the　older　students　would　live　in　the　tents　during　the　winter；　nearly　every　student　in　school　volunteered　to　go。

I　was　one　of　the　volunteers。　The　winter　that　we　spent　in　those　tents　was　an　intensely　cold　one；　and　we　suffered　severelyhow　much　I　am　sure　General　Armstrong　never　knew；　because　we　made　no　complaints。　It　was　enough　for　us　to　know　that　we　were　pleasing　General　Armstrong；　and　that　we　were　making　it　possible　for　an　additional　number　of　students　to　secure　an　education。　More　than　once；　during　a　cold　night；　when　a　stiff　gale　would　be　blowing；　our　tend　was　lifted　bodily；　and　we　would　find　ourselves　in　the　open　air。　The　General　would　usually　pay　a　visit　to　the　tents　early　in　the　morning；　and　his　earnest；　cheerful；　encouraging　voice　would　dispel　any　feeling　of　despondency。

I　have　spoken　of　my　admiration　for　General　Armstrong；　and　yet　he　was　but　a　type　of　that　Christlike　body　of　men　and　women　who　went　into　the　Negro　schools　at　the　close　of　the　war　by　the　hundreds　to　assist　in　lifting　up　my　race。　The　history　of　the　world　fails　to　show　a　higher；　purer；　and　more　unselfish　class　of　men　and　women　than　those　who　found　their　way　into　those　Negro　schools。

Life　at　Hampton　was　a　constant　revelation　to　me；　was　constantly　taking　me　into　a　new　world。　The　matter　of　having　meals　at　regular　hours；　of　eating　on　a　tablecloth；　using　a　napkin；　the　use　of　the　bath…tub　and　of　the　tooth…brush；　as　well　as　the　use　of　sheets　upon　the　bed；　were　all　new　to　me。

I　sometimes　feel　that　almost　the　most　valuable　lesson　I　got　at　the　Hampton　Institute　was　in　the　use　and　value　of　the　bath。　I　learned　there　for　the　first　time　some　of　its　value；　not　only　in　keeping　the　body　healthy；　but　in　inspiring　self…respect　and　promoting　virtue。　In　all　my　travels　in　the　South　and　elsewhere　since　leaving　Hampton　I　have　always　in　some　way　sought　my　daily　bath。　To　get　it　sometimes　when　I　have　been　the　guest　of　my　own　people　in　a　single…roomed　cabin　has　not　always　been　easy　to　do；　except　by　slipping　away　to　some　stream　in　the　woods。　I　have　always　tried　to　teach　my　people　that　some　provision　for　bathing　should　be　a　part　of　every　house。

For　some　time；　while　a　student　at　Hampton；　I　possessed　but　a　single　pair　of　socks；　but　when　I　had　worn　these　till　they　became　soiled；　I　would　wash　them　at　night　and　hang　them　by　the　fire　to　dry；　so　that　I　might　wear　them　again　the　next　morning。

The　charge　for　my　board　at　Hampton　was　ten　dollars　per　month。　I　was　expected　to　pay　a　part　of　this　in　cash　and　to　work　out　the　remainder。　To　meet　this　cash　payment；　as　I　have　stated；　I　had　just　fifty　cents　when　I　reached　the　institution。　Aside　from　a　very　few　dollars　that　my　brother　John　was　able　to　send　me　once　in　a　while；　I　had　no　money　with　which　to　pay　my　board。　I　was　determined　from　the　first　to　make　my　work　as　janitor　so　valuable　that　my　services　would　be　indispensable。　This　I　succeeded　in　doing　to　such　an　extent　that　I　was　soon　informed　that　I　would　be　allowed　the　full　cost　of　my　board　in　return　for　my　work。　The　cost　of　tuition　was　seventy　dollars　a　year。　This；　of　course；　was　wholly　beyond　my　ability　to　provide。　If　I　had　been　compelled　to　pay　the　seventy　dollars　for　tuition；　in　addition　to　providing　for　my　board；　I　would　have　been　compelled　to　leave　the　Hampton　school。　General　Armstrong；　however；　very　kindly　got　Mr。　S。　Griffitts　Morgan；　of　New　Bedford；　Mass。；　to　defray　the　cost　of　my　tuition　during　the　whole　time　that　I　was　at　Hampton。　After　I　finished　the　course　at　Hampton　and　had　entered　upon　my　lifework　at　Tuskegee；　I　had　the　pleasure　of　visiting　Mr。　Morgan　several　times。

After　having　been　for　a　while　at　Hampton；　I　found　myself　in　difficulty　because　I　did　not　have　books　and　clothing。　Usually；　however；　I　got　aro