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 rain came down in torrents, and he had to stop,
while someone held an umbrella over him.
The boldness of what I had done never dawned upon me until I saw
the picture made by the rector of Trinity Church standing before
that large audience under an old umbrella, waiting for the rain
to cease so that he could go on with his address.
It was not very long before the rain ceased and Dr. Donald
finished his sermon; and an excellent sermon it was, too, in
spite of the weather. After he had gone to his room, and had
gotten the wet threads of his clothes dry, Dr. Donald ventured
the remark that a large chapel at Tuskegee would not be out of
place. The next day a letter came from two ladies who were then
travelling in Italy, saying that they had decided to give us the
money for such a chapel as we needed.
A short time ago we received twenty thousand dollars from Mr.
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