EARLY MANHOOD IN THE MIDDLE WEST 153 



When the matter came up before the Board 

 there were many applicants and I have been told 

 that I was elected in the following manner : One 

 of the Trustees, a physician, noted among other 

 things for his strong language, remarked: " That 

 pile of recommendations isn't worth a damn I 

 can get twice as many certifying that I am a good 

 Methodist minister. Buchanan, do you know this 

 man Roberts and what stuff he is made of? " Re- 

 ceiving a satisfactory answer from Mr. Buchanan, 

 the Board unanimously elected me to the position. 



To my great surprise I was asked to take charge 

 at once, and that of necessity left Mrs. Roberts 

 with the help of a hired lad and a neighbor to 

 get in the harvest on the home farm. And so, as 

 it turned out, I never pitched a load of hay with my 

 fine new horse-fork nor did an hour's work in the 

 New Barn, which was great enough in my estima- 

 tion to be spelled with capitals. 



Leaving home at once, I arrived at the College 

 in June, gathered the harvest there and then, re- 

 turning to my own farm, threshed and marketed 

 the grain, stored the household goods in the upper 

 rooms and found a tenant. With homesick hearts 

 and with every expectation of returning in a year 

 or two, we with our two children left the home 



