218 Old Days on the Farm 



sion among the scholars. One boy who always 

 tripped on the study of grammar argued that 

 measles was plural because so many folks had it. 

 Another argument he advanced in favour of his 

 point was that ''measles" like ''molasses" was 

 plural on account of the "muchness of the s's." 



CIRCULATING LIBRAEIES 



In the days of which I write there were circulat- 

 ing libraries in some country schools, but not for 

 the scholars, oh, no. A few erudite bodies — there 

 were those in most neighbourhoods in early days 

 — would meet on Saturday afternoons to exchange 

 books, which were usually kept in wooden cup- 

 boards in the schoolrooms. The particular school 

 library I have in mind was presided over by the 

 late John Caven, father of Principal Caven who 

 made Knox College, Toronto, famous. 



Oh, but they were fine books that those "grey- 

 headed boys" read — Carlyle's "French Kevolu- 

 tion," Shakespeare, John Gait's "Annals of a 

 Parish" and likely Paley's "Natural Theology" 

 and Hugh Miller 's works, surely, were in that cup- 

 board. I feel that I held fast to my maternal 

 grandfather's hand one fateful Saturday after- 

 noon when I was introduced to that intellectual 

 circle. I remember that Mr. Caven thrust a big 

 book into my hand, with the request that I find a 

 seat and enjoy (?) myself while he and his con- 

 freres held their weekly chat. I would not state it, 



