270 . Edward Livingston Youmans. 



ries of that early time. Then came ten years of boyhood 

 and youth in Milton, which still lives vividly in my recol- 

 lection. It was a chequered kind of life, with bright lights 

 and dark shadows ; but the light predominates in memory, 

 and much of my life is now spent in living over again the 

 years from nine to nineteen. From that time on things are 

 much confused in my memory. There came twenty years 

 of struggle, unrest, hard work and poor pay, privation, dis- 

 cipline, disappointment ; and yet the time was far from 

 thrown away. I fought it out pretty well, made some head- 

 way, and didn't live for nothing. I had won a place in the 

 public consideration and become of some service to the 

 community, and had done it with pluck and perseverance. 

 I suffered much in this time, but always enjoyed working. 

 I was much away, and one of my permanent and never- 

 failing pleasures, both of anticipation and realization, was 

 going home. 



A square half century, terminated in 57 west longitude, 

 with the water under me two miles deep, in a steamship 

 with all the modern improvements ! Steamships, and rail- 

 roads, and telegraphs, and a thousand other things have 

 grown up with my growth. It has been a stirring age, and 

 I am glad my mind took the turn it did and that I became 

 interested in the progress of humanity. Much of the intel- 

 lectual pleasure of my life has been derived from this cir- 

 cumstance that I have looked upon its more hopeful and 

 promising side. To help it on somewhat, to do what I 

 could in the way of mitigation and amelioration, to con- 

 tribute a little toward making the world somewhat better 

 than I found it, has been my ambition ; and although I have 

 accomplished but little very little in this great direction- 

 yet the purpose was certainly commendable. Perhaps I 

 have not come up to your standard of what was required, 

 and I know that there have been plenty of shortcomings. 

 I am not satisfied with my life, nor am I greatly dissatisfied. 



