(now Mrs. Herman F. Vickery). She became interested in our work through
Miss Messinger and from that time to this her interest has steadily
grown. Had it not been for the encouragement and aid received from the
Messingers and Mrs. Howe on this trip, I am sure that I should have
given up the struggle.

After leaving Boston, the Tuskegee singers went up the North Shore and
on to the Isles of Shoals. There we had a very good meeting, and as Mr.
Washington could not be present, I was the principal speaker. The people
were greatly interested in what I said and although we took up a good
collection for Tuskegee, my private collection was equally large. This
the leader of the quartet did not like. It was the duty of this man who
was a teacher at Tuskegee, to speak as well as myself, but for some
reason he did not like to do it and would always shirk it when he could.
But after this meeting he cut off my support and when we reached
Portsmouth, he told me that I was dividing the interest and that he
could not use me further on that trip. Of course, what little money I
had been getting I had sent to the school, so I was almost penniless
when he turned me off. I ought to say, however, that he gave me my fare
back to Boston. I reached Boston that night about eight o'clock with no
money and nowhere to go, but finally, I went to the place where we had
stopped when the quartet was in Boston and I found R. W. Taylor, who at
the time was financial agent in the North for Tuskegee. He saw that I
was discouraged and insisted that I tell him why I had come back to
Boston. When he had learned the facts he told his landlady to provide
lodging and board for me at his expense until I could do better.

It was some time before Dr. Washington found out that I was not with the
quartet, and as soon as he knew it, he wrote me to meet him at Lake
Mohonk, N. Y. When the leader of the quartet found out that I was to be
at Lake Mohonk, he tried to interfere so as to prohibit my going there,
but when Dr. Washington said a thing, it had to be done, and I went to
Lake Mohonk and I met the quartet again; also Dr. Washington. We had a
great meeting at Lake Mohonk and after the meeting Mr. and Mrs. S. P.
Avery, who were guests there, gave me $200. From here we returned South
and reached Tuskegee about the first of September. From there I returned
to Snow Hill.

My trip North during the summer of '98 was very much saddened by the
illness and death of my aun