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.
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