EARLY MANHOOD IN THE MIDDLE WEST 117 



are young and let them get used to turning short 

 corners while they are supple. 



I engaged rooms and board for the winter in 

 the house which we had erected on Stillwell prairie, 

 as building could not go on in winter and I did not 

 expect to have work. Mr. Armstrong, with whom 

 I was stopping, had two nearly grown boys and 

 was anxious about their winter schooling, for it 

 had been decided that the old school house was un- 

 inhabitable. Finding out that I had taught school 

 in New York, and that I was ready to do almost 

 anything to avoid an idle winter, it was agreed that 

 I was to teach in the condemned school house ex- 

 cept during the extreme cold days. A dollar per 

 day and board was certainly small wages, but 

 better than a winter's board bill and the blues. 



On the coldest days only the larger pupils would 

 put in an appearance. The window cracks were 

 corked with paper and the loose benches arranged 

 in a hollow square around the stove for the pupils 

 while I, with overcoat on, walked around the out- 

 side of the square and gave help and heard recita- 

 tions. By noon the stove would be so full of un- 

 consumed coals from too rapid firing that they had 

 to be carried out and a new fire built. I wonder 

 now that we did not set that old red school house 

 afire by our reckless stoking. 



