198 Old Days on the Farm 



In such a collection of memories as are set forth 

 in this volume ranging far and wide it would, 

 indeed, be a grave omission if mention were not 

 made of the country schools of other days. Most 

 great men in this lately out-of-the-woods land had 

 their first introduction to "book I'arnin' " in a 

 little log school-house. 



I missed the log seat of learning by several 

 years, perhaps that may be the reason why I have 

 never achieved greatness or had it thrust upon me. 

 But the log school-house was still standing in the 

 school-yard, and was used as a woodshed, when 

 I set out on the path towards an education. You '11 

 observe, then, that I missed the first qualification 

 to greatness by a narrow margin. 



HOPED TO *'lICK" THE TEACHER 



Most "grey-haired boys" have kindly recollec- 

 tions of their alma mater, but I have known school- 

 boys whose chief desire was that when they had 

 grown to manhood they would have developed 

 brawn enough to enable them to "lick" the 

 teacher. I believe that I had hankerings myself 

 in that direction in my hot youth. But, of course, 

 all such vain and inglorious longings had faded 

 away by the time the age of young manhood had 

 been reached and with the larger vision, came re- 

 spect, yes, reverence, for him who had been en- 

 gaged in the task of directing young ideas how 

 to sprout, branch out and develop a manly, healthy 

 growth. 



