The first night I slept under both of
them, and the second night I slept on top of them; but by
watching the other boys I learned my lesson in this, and have
been trying to follow it ever since and to teach it to others.
I was among the youngest of the students who were in Hampton at
the time. Most of the students were men and women--some as old as
forty years of ago. As I now recall the scene of my first year, I
do not believe that one often has the opportunity of coming into
contact with three or four hundred men and women who were so
tremendously in earnest as these men and women were. Every hour
was occupied in study or work. Nearly all had had enough actual
contact with the world to teach them the need of education. Many
of the older ones were, of course, too old to master the
text-books very thoroughly, and it was often sad to watch their
struggles; but they made up in earnest much of what they lacked
in books. Many of them were as poor as I was, and, besides having
to wrestle with their books, they had to struggle with a poverty
which prevented their having the necessities of life. Many of
them had aged parents who were dependent upon them, and some of
them were men who had wives whose support in some way they had to
provide for.
The great and prevailing idea that seemed to take possession of
every one was to prepare himself to lift up the people at his
home.
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