Judgement..... > > >Subject: First Impressions > > > > > > > > > > > >A True Story you MUST read to the end.........>>>>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >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 President's > outer > > > >office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods; > country > > > >hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve > to be > > in > > > >Cambridge. > > > > > > > >"We want to see the president," the man said softly. > > > > > > > >"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait," the > lady > > > >replied. For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the > couple > > would > > > >finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't 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, they'll leave," she said > to > > him. > > > > > > > >He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance > obviously > > > >didn't have the time to spend with them, but 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 wasn't touched.... He was shocked. > > > > > > > >"Madam," he said, gruffly, "we can't 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 don't 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 don't we just start our own?" > > > > > > > >Her husband nodded. > > > > > > > >The president's 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. > > > > > > > >(A TRUE STORY-----By Malcolm Forbes)