MEMORIES OF THE 



sister Sophronia, who was never discouraged or overcome by 

 any ordinary embarrassment or obstacle. She hunted out and 

 put me into a pair of her old morocco shoes. They did not fit 

 very well, and were about two inches too long. Of course, be- 

 fore I had gone half-way to the ''Huddle" in the procession, 

 in which I had the honor to march under our beloved teacher, 

 Louise Bentley, the boys were guying me unmercifully. I did 

 the best I could to brace up and show my indifference; but their 

 jests took hold, and when I went to the platform which had been 

 erected in front of the pulpit, with some others of the class, and 

 was told by one of the boys who stood next to me, loud enough 

 for the others to hear, that I must not try to toe the mark, be- 

 cause if I did I would be way behind all the rest, it broke me 

 down completely, so that my part in a startling dialogue was a 

 disastrous failure. But the dinner in the neighboring grove, 

 provided by the good ladies, with the big sugar loaf-cakes and a 

 barrel of lemonade, cheered me up so that I went home feeling 

 all right, carrying Sophronia's morocco shoes in my hand after 

 leaving the State Road. 



School meetings were a very important occurrence in the dis- 

 trict. At the appointed time the voters of the district met and 

 VvTangled over who should get the wood, or whether fifty cents 

 or seventy-five cents should be expended in putting in new glass, 

 or whether they should have a man or woman teacher for the 

 winter. They were occasions of great importance to the orators 

 of the district, who discussed these seemingly unimportant ques- 

 tions with as much dignity and earnestness as senators. Some 

 very hot discussions were had, and at times, when the more im- 

 portant questions of dividing the district or removing the school- 

 house were raised, considerable feeling was exhibited. 



There was usually some young fellow in the district who was 



