AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS 101 



sat up nights to prepare for the difficulties ahead 

 but, fortunately, my ambitious pupil dropped out in 

 a few days. Soon after this, another advanced boy 

 called for help in Algebra. It was an easy job to 

 straighten out his X, Y, Z's; but the next day he 

 wanted help again. When asked if he had per- 

 formed all the examples between the two widely 

 separated problems they were thirty pages 

 apart he said no, that he was just reviewing. 

 He had struck a tough one, as I had reason to re- 

 member for I had had it at the Academy. So, 

 glancing at it, I remarked casually: "Jacob, I 

 am too busy to do that long example in school 

 hours." As it was then time for recess I turned 

 the boys out and walked with shaking knees to my 

 desk to get my old algebra. Upon turning over 

 the fly leaves, I found that example all worked out 

 as I had done it in the Academy. Going to the 

 blackboard, I transcribed it, and when the boy 

 came in I said in no uncertain tone : " Jacob, there 

 is your problem ! " Not having succeeded in " stick- 

 ing " me, he soon afterward left school. 



The boys tried other tricks than merely intel- 

 lectual problems. The teacher of the previous 

 winter was accustomed to go to the hotel for his 

 mid-day meal. While he was gone they would bar 



