52 Frederick Law Olmsted 



put little trout and frogs that we caught with our hands, and 

 from which we filled the drink-water pail of the school. 

 The ground was strewn with rocks and the brook made a 

 crooked way among them with much babbling. I remember 

 beds of fragrant mint along its banks and of pennyroyal on 

 the drier roadside. Here too, by an old stone fence we 

 drew out sassafras roots and in a marshy place at the foot 

 of the hill we pulled the sweetfiag root from the black 

 mire. 



The narrow road passed on the other side of the school- 

 house and sometimes, when wheels were heard approaching, 

 our mistress would stop short and cry: "Your elders are 

 coming. Make your manners! Make your manners!" and 

 we hastened to stand in line at the roadside, the boys to bow, 

 the girls to coiurtesy. Even when at play and out of sight 

 of the schoolhouse the boys would stop and take off their hats 

 if any much older person came near. We were eager to do 

 it, which perhaps is to be accounted for by the fact that we 

 saw so few people, and that no man would be in such haste or 

 so absorbed in other duties that he could not acknowledge the 

 courtesy and smile or say a pleasant word to us. 



I was a favorite with the mistress. When she was mar- 

 ried and was starting for the Western Reserve in a chaise 

 with a horse-hide trunk, studded with brass nails, hung on 

 behind, she stopped at our house to see me. She cried a little 

 when she kissed me. Did I cry also ? I think not. 



I dimly recall much more that was quaint, and that it is 

 harder to believe in, of the habits and customs of the parish, 

 but I recall nothing that was not kindly or that I do not thor- 

 oughly respect. 



One of the most incredible of my recollections is that of 

 the serious and respectful interest taken by all classes of the 

 people in the annual spring parade of the militia, and first 

 that the drummer should have come to the parson for advice 

 as he did weeks beforehand in regard to the drum head. Its 

 renewal and the manner of it being determined, I went with a 



