One of the girls who had failed to get
any breakfast came out and went to the well to draw some water to
drink and take the place of the breakfast which she had not been able
to get. When she reached the well, she found that the rope was broken
and that she could get no water. She turned from the well and said,
in the most discouraged tone, not knowing that I was where I could
hear her, "We can't even get water to drink at this school." I think
no one remark ever came so near discouraging me as that one.
At another time, when Mr. Bedford -- whom I have already spoken of
as one of our trustees, and a devoted friend of the institution -- was
visiting the school, he was given a bedroom immediately over the
dining room. Early in the morning he was awakened by a rather
animated discussion between two boys in the dining room below. The
discussion was over the question as to whose turn it was to use the
coffee-cup that morning. One boy won the case by proving that for
three mornings he had not had an opportunity to use the cup at all.
But gradually, with patience and hard work, we brought order out
of chaos, just as will be true of any problem if we stick to it with
patience and wisdom and earnest effort.
As I look back now over that part of our struggle, I am glad to
see that we had it.
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