Looks Are Disceiving > > A lady in a faded gingham > dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare > suit, stepped off the train in Boston and walked timidly > without an appointment into the Harvard University > Presidents outer office. The secretary could tell in a > moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at > Harvard & probably didnt even deserve to be in > Cambridge. Wed like to see the > president, > the man said softly. > Hell be busy all day, the secretary > snapped. Well wait, the lady replied. > > > For hours the secretary > ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become > discouraged and go away. They didnt, and the secretary > grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the > president, even though it was a chore she always regretted. > Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, theyll > leave, she said to him. He sighed in exasperation and > nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didnt have > the time to spend with them, and he detested gingham dresses > and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office. > > The president, stern > faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady > told him, We had a son who attended Harvard for one > year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year > ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like > to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus. The > president wasnt touched. He was shocked. > > Madam, he said, > gruffly, we cant put up a statue for every person > who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would > look like a cemetery. > > Oh, > no, the lady explained quickly. We dont > want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a > building to Harvard. The president rolled his eyes. He > glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then > exclaimed, A building! Do you have any earthly idea > how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half > million dollars in the physical buildings here at > Harvard. > > For a moment the lady > was silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he could get > rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said > quietly, Is that all it costs to start a university? > Why dont we just start our own? Her husband > nodded. > > The presidents > face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. > > Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford > got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California > where they established the university that bears their name, > Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no > longer cared about. > > You can easily judge > the character of others by how they treat those who they > think can do nothing for them. > > A TRUE STORY by Malcolm Forbes ================================ quick
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 14:20:35 +0000