to-day. Neither were they gifted with the intellectual attainments
possessed by the inhabitants of the same locality at the present time.
Many of the old men served in the war of 1812, and they were looked up
to with about the same veneration as are the heroes of the Civil War
to-day. It was at a time when the younger generation was beginning to
acquire a thirst for knowledge, but it was not easily obtained under
the peculiar conditions existing at that period. A school district
that was able to support a school for six months in each year was
indeed considered fortunate, but even in these the older children were
not permitted to attend during the summer months, as their services
were considered indispensable in the cultivation of the soil.

Reading, writing and arithmetic were about all the studies pursued in
those rural school districts, although occasionally some of the better
class of the country maidens could be seen listlessly glancing over a
geography or grammar, but they were regarded as "stuck up," and the
other pupils thought they were endeavoring to master something far
beyond their capacity.

Our winter school term generally commenced the first week in December
and lasted until the first week in March, with one evening set apart
each week for a spelling-match and recitation. We had our spelling
match on Saturday nights, and every four weeks we would meet with
schools in other districts in a grand spelling contest. I was
considered too young to participate in any of the joint spelling
matches, and my heart was heavy within me every time I saw a great
four-horse sleigh loaded with joyful boys and girls on their way to
one of the great contests.

One Saturday night there was to be a grand spelling match at a country