As soon as the last good-bys were said, and the steamer had cut loose from the wharf, the load of care, anxiety, and responsibility which I had carried for eighteen years began to lift itself from my shoulders at the rate, it seemed to me, of a pound a minute.
Reflecting on the beginning of his first European trip, Washington describes the immense relief he felt as the burdens of his long-standing responsibilities began to dissipate.
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More from Booker T. Washington
The hurtful influences of the institution were not by any means confined to the Negro.
Even to this day I can recall accurately the tortures that I underwent when putting on one of these garments.
The Negro boy has obstacles, discouragements, and temptations to battle with that are little known to those not situated as he is.
From any point of view, I had rather be what I am, a member of the Negro race, than be able to claim membership with the most favoured of any other race.