" I recalled that from my youth I had heard it said
that too often, when people of my race reached any degree of
success, they were inclined to unduly exalt themselves; to try
and ape the wealthy, and in so doing to lose their heads. The
fear that people might think this of us haunted me a good deal.
Then, too, I could not see how my conscience would permit me to
spare the time from my work and be happy. It seemed mean and
selfish in me to be taking a vacation while others were at work,
and while there was so much that needed to be done. From the time
I could remember, I had always been at work, and I did not see
how I could spend three or four months in doing nothing. The fact
was that I did not know how to take a vacation.
Mrs. Washington had much the same difficulty in getting away, but
she was anxious to go because she thought that I needed the rest.
There were many important National questions bearing upon the
life of the race which were being agitated at that time, and this
made it all the harder for us to decide to go. We finally gave
our Boston friends our promise that we would go, and then they
insisted that the date of our departure be set as soon as
possible. So we decided upon May 10. My good friend Mr. Garrison
kindly took charge of all the details necessary for the success
of the trip, and he, as well as other friends, gave us a great
number of letters of introduction to people in France and
England, and made other arrangements for our comfort and
convenience abroad.
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