22 Boyhood, Early Schooling, and Teaching 



appointed an instructor in zoology and botany, he was by 1879 

 assistant professor of botany. 



During the early part of this year Anson P. DeWolf, principal 

 of the high school at Ionia, was taking advanced study at his 

 alma mater and wrote Smith of his interest in his work, mention- 

 ing " ' identification of vertebrates ' and Structural and Physiologir 

 cal Botany" as his main courses. He believed that, while Smith 

 was earning his high school education under difficulties that would 

 defeat many a valiant, hardy spirit, his "actual progress [was] 

 much greater than that of the average student in the University"; 

 indeed, better " than two thirds of the students in our best col- 

 leges." He liked Smith's "cheerful outlook," and, believing his 

 health holding well against severe odds of arduous toil and study, 

 urged: ^^ 



T wish very much that you could have the advantages of the U[niver- 

 sity} of M[ichigan}. Your last letter contained some things of interest 

 respecting your work with the plants you are receiving and your plans, 

 and it being a very excellent letter I took the liberty to show it to 

 Prof[essor} Spalding. He remembered you well and the letter inspired 

 him with an unusual interest in you and your work. I supplemented the 

 letter with a detailed account of the admirable work you had done and the 

 beautiful spirit you had manifested, and I am sure you have not a warmer 

 friend or one more deeply interested in your success than he. He asked 

 me about you again yesterday and said " he should wish you could be here 

 next year." When you do come you will find in him an excellent in- 

 structor and an earnest friend. I think a irreat deal of him. 



Yes indeed you will have a fine herbarium when you come, and I should 

 conjecture that you had one already. I should like to see it, but should 

 know altogether too little to appreciate its worth. I know but little about 

 systematic Botany but mean to know more about it sometime. My work 

 in botany has been structural. ... I am pleased at the grit you manifest 

 in taking up German by yourself. I hope you may succeed with it as you 

 did with French. 



Smith this year evidently was earning his livelihood by teaching 

 in a district country school, Prairie Creek School by name. 

 DeWolf congratulated him on his progress in this, as well as his 

 individual studies. " You certainly have done remarkably well to 

 take care of so large and advanced a school," he wrote. Erwin had 

 planned that during the year 1879 he would complete his high 

 school education, and then go to college. In all candor he had 



" March 30, May 25, 1879. 



