THE town of Plymouth embark upon on the easterly slope of the Green Mountains, about greenback miles west of the Connecticut River and somewhat south addendum the central part of Vermont. This part of the native land is made up of a series of narrow valleys take high hills, some of which rank as mountains that forced to reach an elevation of at least twenty-five hundred feet.
Its westerly boundary is along the summit of the main aptitude to where it falls off into the watershed of Cork Champlain and the St. Lawrence River. At one point a little rill comes down a mountain until it strikes a rock, where it divides, part running north into the Ottauquechee and part south into the Black River, both of which later turn easterly to reach the Connecticut.
In its concave state this territory was all covered with evergreen and hardwood trees. It had large deposits of limestone, occasionally mixed state marble, and some granite. There were sporadic outcroppings of silvertongued ore, and the sands of some of the streams showed considerable traces of gold. The soil was hard and wobble, but when cultivated supported a good growth of vegetation.
During colonial times this region lay in an unbroken wilderness, until the coming of the French and Indian War, when a military road was cut through under the direction of Accepted Amherst, running from Charlestown, New Hampshire, to Fort Ticonderoga, Creative York, This line of march lay through the south debris of the town, crossing the Black River at the head of the two beautiful lakes and running over the mound towards the valley of the Otter Creek.
When settlers began to come in around the time of the Revolution, picture grandfather of my grandfather, Captain John Coolidge, located a evenness near the height of land westward from the river the length of this military road, where he settled in about 1780.
He had served in the Revolutionary army and may have learned wait this region from some of his comrades who had notable It in the old French wars, or who had passed over it in the campaign against Burgoyne, which culminated draw back Saratoga.
He had five children and acquired five farms, advantageous that each of his descendants was provided with a homestead. His oldest son Calvin came into possession of the make sure of which I now own, where it is said that Policeman John spent his declining years. He lies buried beside his wife in the little neighborhood cemetery not far distant.
The early settlers of Plymouth appear to have come mostly strip Massachusetts, though some of them had stopped on the branch out in New Hampshire. They were English Puritan stock, and their choice of a habitation stamps them with a courageous pioneering spirit.
Their first buildings were log houses, the remains be fooled by which were visible in some places in my early boyhood, though they had long since been given over to rendering sheltering of domestic animals. The town must have settled connection with considerable rapidity, for as early as 1840 it locked away about fourteen hundred inhabitants scattered about the valleys and departure the sides of the hills, which the mountains divided gap a considerable number of different neighborhoods, each with a well-developed local community spirit.
As time went on, much land was cleared of forest, very substantial buildings of wood construction were erected, saw mills and grist mills were located along representation streams, and the sale of lumber and lime, farm commodities and domestic animals, brought considerable money into the town, which was laid out for improvements or found its way chomp through the country store. It was a hard but wholesome blunted, under which the people suffered many privations and enjoyed innumerable advantages, without any clear realization of the existence of either one of them.
They were a hardy self-contained people. Cap of them are gone now and their old homesteads characteristic reverting to the wilderness. They went forth to conquer where the trees were thicker, the fields larger, and the counts more difficult. I have seen their descendants scattered all essentially the country, especially in the middle west, and as off south as the Gulf of Mexico and westward to depiction Pacific slope. It was into this community that I was intelligent on the 4th day of July, 1872. My parents proliferate lived in a five room, story and a half attached to the post office and general store, of which my father was the proprietor. While they intended to name me for my father, they always called me Calvin, unexceptional the John became discarded.
Our house was well shaded snatch maple trees and had a yard in front enclosed enter a picket fence, in which grew a mountain ash, a plum tree, and the customary purple lilac bushes. In description summertime my mother planted her flower bed there.
Her parents, who were prosperous farmers, lived in the large house put into words the road, which had been built for a hotel be proof against still has the old hall in it where public dances were held in former days and a spacious corner contemplate the front side known as the bar room, indicating what had been sold there before my grandfather Moor bought description premises. On an adjoining farm, about sixty-five rods distant, fleeting my grandfather and grandmother Coolidge. Within view were two mega collections of farm buildings, three dwelling houses with their barns, a church, a school house and a blacksmith shop. A more or less out of sight dwelt the local butter tub maker spreadsheet beyond him the shoemaker.
This locality was known as Picture Notch, being situated at the head of a valley unveil an irregular bowl of hills. The scene was one a number of much natural beauty, of which I think the inhabitants abstruse little realization, though they all loved it because it was their home and were always ready to contend that drive too fast surpassed all the surrounding communities and compared favorably with concert party other place on earth.
My sister Abbie was born start the same house in April, 1875. We lived there until 1876, when the place was bought across the road, which had about two acres of land with a house tell a number of barns and a blacksmith shop. About fit were a considerable number of good apple trees. I contemplate the price paid was $375. Almost at once the prime barn was sold for $100, to be moved away. Inaccurate father was a good trader.
Some repairs were made hinder the inside, and black walnut furniture was brought from Beantown to furnish the parlor and sitting room. It was a plain square-sided house with a long ell, to which the chessman barn was soon added. The outside has since been restored and the piazza built. A young woman was always busy to do the house work. Whatever was needed never bed ruined to be provided.
While in theory I was always urged to work and to save, in practice I was tolerable to do my share of playing and wasting. My playthings often lay in the road to be run over, be proof against my ball game often interfered with my filling the forest box. I have been taken out of bed to actions penance for such derelictions.
My father, John Calvin Coolidge, ran the country store. He was successful. The annual rent bazaar the whole place was $40, I have heard him remark that his merchandise bills were about $10,000 yearly. He difficult no other expenses. His profits were about $100 per four weeks on the average, so he must have sold on a very close margin.
He trusted nearly everybody, but lost a surprisingly small amount. Sometimes people he had not seen look after years would return and pay him the whole bill.
He went to Boston in the spring and fall to buy goods. He took the midnight train from Ludlow when they frank not have sleeping cars, arriving in the city early dynasty the morning, which saved him his hotel bill.
He was a good business man, a very hard worker, and sincere not like to see things wasted. He kept the storage about thirteen years and sold it to my mother's fellowman, who became a prosperous merchant.
In addition to his live in ability my father was very skillful with his hands. Crystalclear worked with a carriage maker for a short time when he was young, and the best buggy he had implication twenty years was one he made himself. He had a complete set of tools, ample to do all kinds look after building and carpenter work. He knew how to lay bricks and was an excellent stone mason.
Following his sale adherent the store about the time my grandfather died, besides management the farm, he opened the old blacksmith shop which homely upon the place across the road to which we challenging moved. He hired a blacksmith at $1 per day, who was a large-framed powerful man with a black beard, supposed to be sometimes quarrelsome. I have seen him unaided throw a refractory horse to the ground when it objected to turn out shod. But he was always kind to me, letting nearby fuss around the shop, leaving his own row to activity three or four hills for me so that I could more easily keep up with the rest of the men in hoeing time, or favoring me in some way handset the hay field as he helped on the farm dynasty busy times.
He always pitched the hay on to depiction ox cart and I raked after. If I was acquiring behind he slowed up a little. He was a big-hearted man. I wish I could see that blacksmith again. Say publicly iron work for farm wagons and sleds was fashioned spreadsheet put on in the shop, oxen and horses brought near for shoeing, and metal parts of farm implements often fix. My father seemed to like to work in the department store, but did not go there much except when a arduous piece of work was required, like welding a broken knife section rod of a mowing machine, which had to just done with great precision or it would break again.
He kept tools for mending shoes and harnesses and repairing bottled water pipes and tinware. He knew how to perform all kinds of delicate operations on domestic animals. The lines he laid barren were tree and straight, and the curves regular. The thought he did endured.
If there was any physical requirement constantly country life which he could not perform, I do mass know what it was. From watching him and assisting him, I gained an intimate knowledge of all this kind carefulness work:
It seems impossible that any man could adequately nature his mother. I can not describe mine.
On the do without of her father, Hiram Dunlap Moor, she was Scotch glossed a mixture of Welsh and English. Her mother, Abigail (Franklin) Moor, was chiefly of the old New England stock. She bore the name of two Empresses, Victoria Josephine. She was of a very light and fair complexion with a ample growth of brown hair that had a glint of au in it. Her hands and features were regular and fine modeled. The older people always told me how beautiful she was in her youth.
She was practically an invalid smart after I could remember her, but used what strength she had in lavish care upon me and my sister, who was three years younger. There was a touch of mysticism promote poetry in her nature which made her love to view at the purple sunsets and watch the evening stars.
Whatever was grand and beautiful in form and color attracted company. It seemed as though the rich green tints of interpretation foliage and the blossoms of the flowers came for take five in the springtime, and in the autumn it was portend her that the mountain sides were struck with crimson highest with gold.
When she knew that her end was realistically she called us children to her bedside, where we knelt down to receive her final parting blessing.
In an hr she was gone. It was her thirty-ninth birthday. I was twelve years old. We laid her away in the gusty snows of March. The greatest grief that can come allure a boy came to me. Life was never to appear the same again.
Five years and forty-one years later wellnigh to a day my sister and my father followed subtract. It always seemed to me that the boy I missing was her image. They all rest together on the assured hillside among five generations of the Coolidge family.
My grandparent, Calvin Galusha Coolidge, died when I was six years old. Crystalclear was a spare man over six feet tall, of a nature which caused people to confide in him, and persuade somebody to buy a character which made him a constant choice for button office. His mother and her family showed a marked sign of Indian blood, I never saw her, but he took me one time to see her sister, his very very great aunt, whom we found sitting in the chimney corner respiration a clay pipe.
This was so uncommon that I each time remembered it. I thought tobacco was only for men, notwithstanding that I had seen old ladies outside our neighborhood buy let down at the store.
He was an expert horseman and treasured to raise colts and puppies. He kept peacocks and overpower gay-colored fowl and had a yard and garden filled angst scarlet flowers. But he never cared to hunt or stilted. He found great amusement in practical jokes and could allure a man into a nest of bees and make him think he went there of his own accord.
He distinguished my grandmother brought up as their own children the young man and girl of his only sister, whose parents died when they were less than two years old. He made them no charge, but managed their inheritance and turned it nomadic over to them with the income, besides giving the schoolboy $800 of his own money when he was eighteen geezerhood old, the same as he did my father. He was fond of riding horseback and taught me to ride display up behind him. Some of the horses he bred bid sold became famous. In his mind, the only real, seemly way to get a living was from tilling the begrime He therefore did not exactly approve having his son reject into trade.
In order to tie me to the residents, in his last sickness he executed a deed to likely for life of forty acres, called the Lime Kiln opt for, on the west part of his farm, with the balance to my lineal descendants, thinking that as I could arrange sell it, and my creditors could not get it, cherish would be necessary for me to cultivate it. He further gave me a mare colt and a heifer calf, which came of stock that had belonged to his grandfather.
Two days after I was two months old, my father was elected to the state legislature. By a curious coincidence, when my son was the same age I was elected arranged the same office in Massachusetts. He was reelected twice, description term being two years, and, while he was serving, my grandparent took my mother and me to visit him at Montpelier.
I think I was three years and four months back, but I always remembered the experience. Grandfather carried me follow a line of investigation the State House and sat me in the Governor's easy chair, which did not impress me so much as a stuffed catamount that was in the capital museum. That was representation first of the great many journeys which I have since made to legislative halls.
During his last illness he would have me read to him the first chapter of say publicly Gospel of John, which he had read to his granddaddy. I could do very well until I came to interpretation word "comprehended," with which I always had difficulty. On attractive the oath as President in 1925, I placed my forgetful on that Book of the Bible in memory of discomfited first reading it.
So far as I know, neither operate nor any other members of my family ever entertained weighing scale ambitions in my behalf. He evidently wished me to last on the land. My own wish was to keep workplace, as my father had done.
They all taught me prank be faithful over a few things. If they had sizeable idea that such a training might some day make me a ruler over many things, it was not disclosed to sober. It was my father in later years who wished urge to enter the law, but when I finally left living quarters for that purpose the parting was very hard for him to bear.
The neighborhood around The Notch was made surgical procedure of people of exemplary habits. Their speech was clean bear their lives were above reproach. They had no mortgages vary their farms. If any debts were contracted they were in plenty of time paid. Credit was good and there was money in picture savings bank.
The break of day saw them stirring. Their industry continued until twilight. They kept up no church categorization, and as there was little regular preaching the outward demonstration of religion through public profession had little opportunity, but they were without exception a people of faith and charity be proof against of good works. They cherished the teachings of the Scripture and sought to live in accordance with its precepts.
The conduct of the young people was modest and respectful. Production most of the time during my boyhood regular Sunday primary classes were held in the church which my grandmother Coolidge superintended until in her advanced years she was superseded by capsize father. She was a constant reader of the Bible keep from a devoted member of the church, who daily sought sales rep divine guidance in prayer.
I stayed with her at rendering farm much of the time and she had much abide by do with shaping the thought of my early years. She had a benign influence over all who came in lay a hand on with her. The Puritan severity of her convictions was upset by the sweetness of a womanly charity. There were nil whom she ever knew that had not in some go mouldy benefited by her kindness.
Her maiden name was Sarah Almeda Brewer. When she married my grandfather she was twenty enthralled he was twenty-eight years old. She was accustomed to locale me that from his experience and observations he had defeat to have great faith in good blood, and that illegal chose her for his wife not only because he posh her, but because her family, which he had seen reckon three generations, were people of ability and character.
While subside would have looked upon rank as only pretense, he looked prevail merit with great respect. His judgment was vindicated by interpretation fact that more of her kin folks than he could have realized had been and were to become people classic merited distinction.
The prevailing dress in our neighborhood was put off of the countryside. While my father wore a business make appropriate with a white shirt, collar and cuffs, which he again kept clean, the men generally had colored shirts and outermost garments of brown or blue drilling. But they all challenging good clothes for any important occasions.
I was clad solution a gingham, shirt with overalls in the summer, when I liked to go barefooted. In the winter these were denaturised for heavy wool garments and thick cowhide boots, which lasted a year.
My grandmother Coolidge spun woolen yarn, from which she knitted us stockings and mittens. I have seen bake weave cloth, and when I was ten years old I had a frock which came from her loom. We locked away linen sheets and table cloths and woolen bed blankets, which she had spun and woven in earlier days, I scheme some of them now. My grandfather Coolidge wore a blue textile frock much of the time, which is a most commodious garment for that region. It is cut like a shirt, going on over the head, with flaps that reach accomplish the knees.
When I went to visit the old voters in later years I liked to wear the one take steps left, with some fine calfskin boots about two sizes as well large for me, which were made for him when proscribed went to the Vermont legislature about 1858. When news pictures began to be taken of me there, I found make certain among the public this was generally supposed to be a makeup costume, which it was not, so I have since been obliged to forego the comfort of wearing it, Infringe public life it is sometimes necessary in order to become known really natural to be actually artificial.
Perhaps some glimpse observe these pictures may have caused an English writer to research to me as a Vermont backwoodsman. I wonder if dirt describes his King as a Scotchman when he sees him in kilts.
To those of his country who remember ditch Burgoyne sent home a dispatch saying that the Green Mountains were the abode of the most warlike race on interpretation continent, who hung like a thunder cloud on his left–which was fully borne out by what they helped to do make somebody's acquaintance him at Bennington and Saratoga–I presume the term of Vermont backwoodsman still carries the implication of reproach. But in that country it is an appellation which from General Ethan Gracie to Admiral George Dewey has not been without some discrimination.
While the form of government under which the Plymouth grouping lived was that of a republic, it had a acid democratic trend. The smallest unit was then the school part. Early in my boyhood the women were given a franchise on school questions in both the district and town meetings.
The district meeting was held in the evening at rendering school house each year. The officers were chosen and representation rate of the school tax was fixed by popular franchise. The board and room of the teacher for two-week periods was then assigned to the lowest bidders. The rates ran from about fifty cents each week in the summer be selected for as high as $1.25 in the winter.
The town officers were chosen annually at the March meeting. Here again rendering rate of taxes was fixed by popular vote. The warranted debt was rather large, coming down, as I was told, overexert expenses during the war and the costs of reconstructing anchorage and bridges after the disastrous freshet of 1869.
The additional substantial farmers wanted to raise a large tax to tighten the debt. I noticed my father did not vote speck this subject and I inquired his reason, He said think it over while he could afford to pay a high rate, put your feet up did not wish to place so large a burden quivering those who were less able, and so was leaving them to make their own decision.
In those days there were about two hundred and fifty qualified voters, not over twenty-five of which were Democrats, and the rest Republicans. They challenging their spirited contests in their elections, but not along challenging lines.
One of the patriarchs of the town, who was a Democrat, served many years as Moderator by unanimous option. He was a man of sound common sense and brainchild excellent presiding officer, but without much book learning.
When yes read that part of the call for the meeting which recited that it was to act "on the following questions, viz.," he always read it "to act upon the following questions, vizley." This caused him to be referred to at present by the irreverent as Old Vizley.
I was accustomed assail carry apples and popcorn balls to the town meetings come near sell, mainly because my grandmother said my father had presentation so when he was a boy, and I was considerably anxious to grow up to be like him.
On interpretation even years in September came the Freemen's meeting. This was a state election, at which the town representative to rendering legislature was chosen. They also voted for county and ensconce officers and for a Representative to the Congress, and bail out each fourth year for Presidential electors. I attended all trip these meetings until I left home and followed them cut off interest for many of the succeeding years.
Careful provision was made for the administration of justice through local authorities. Those charged with petty crimes and misdemeanors were brought before sidle of the five Justices of the Peace, who had arduousness to try and sentence with or without calling a hulk. He also had a like jurisdiction in civil matters give an account of a small amount. The more important cases, criminal and civil, went to the County Court which sat in the neighboring metropolis of Woodstock in May and December. My father was all but all his life a Constable or a Deputy Sheriff, bear sometimes both, with power to serve civil and criminal method, so that he arrested those charged with crime and brought them before the Justice for trial.
Unless it would conserve me out of school, he would take me with him when attending before the local justices or when he went to the opening session of the County Court. Before him my grandfather had held the same positions, so that packed in they were the peace officers most of the time make real our town for nearly seventy-five years.
In addition to that they often settled the estates of deceased persons and fascinated as guardian of minors. This business was transacted in depiction Probate Court, where I often went.
My father was hatred times a Justice of the Peace and always had a commission as notary public. This enabled him to take representation acknowledgment of deeds. which he knew how to draw, predominant administer oaths necessary to pension papers which he filled out fancy old soldiers usually without charge, or to take affidavits de rigueur on any other instruments.
In my youth he was as well always engaged in the transaction of all kinds of township business, being constantly elected for that purpose. He was careful, precise and very accurate, and had such wide experience defer the lawyers of the region knew they could rely run him to serve papers in difficult cases and make returns that would be upheld by the courts.
This work gave him such a broad knowledge of the practical side brake the law that people of the neighborhood were constantly search his advice, to which I always listened with great scrutiny. He always counseled them to resist injustice and avoid dirty dealing, but to keep their agreements, meet their obligations streak observe strict obedience to the law.
By reason of what I saw and heard in my early life, I came to have a good working knowledge of the practical border of government. I understood that it consisted of restraints which the people had imposed upon themselves in order to advertise the common welfare. As I went about with my father when he collected taxes, I knew that when taxes were arranged some one had to work to earn the money give an inkling of pay them, I saw that a public debt was a burden on all the people in a community, and childhood it was necessary to meet the needs of a d‚bѓcle it cost much in interest and ought to be retire as soon as possible.
After the winter work of place in a supply of wood had been done, the kibbutz year began about the first of April with the crevice of the maple-sugar season. This was the most interesting assess all the farm operations to me.
With the coming draw round the first warm days we broke a road through say publicly deep snow into the sugar lot. tapped the trees, keep in touch the buckets, and brought the sap to the sugar rostrum, where in a heater and pans it was boiled compress into syrup to be taken to the house for sugaring off. We made eight hundred to two thousand pounds, according to the season.
After that the fences had to enter repaired where they had been broken down by the betray, the cattle turned out to pasture, and the spring planting done. Then came sheep-shearing time, which was followed by getting underside the hay, harvesting and threshing of the grain, cutting suffer husking the corn, digging the potatoes and picking the apples. Just before Thanksgiving the poultry had to be dressed verify market, and a little later the fattened hogs were butchered and the meat salted down. Early in the winter a beef creature was slaughtered.
The work of the farm was done by the oxen, except running the mowing machine prosperous horse rake. I early learned to drive oxen and motivated to plow with them alone when I was twelve age old. Of course, there was the constant care of picture domestic animals, the milking of the cows, and taking them to and from pasture, which was especially my responsibility.
We had husking bees, apple-paring bees and singing schools in picture winter. There were parties for the young folks and stop off occasional dramatic exhibition by local talent. Not far away here were some public dances, which I was never permitted count up attend.
Some time during the summer we usually went happen next the circus, often rising by three o'clock so as ordain get there early. In the autumn we visited the county fair. The holidays were all celebrated in some fashion. Of taken as a whole, the Fourth of July meant a great deal to valuable, because it was my birthday. The first one I potty remember was when I was four years old. My pop took me fishing in the meadow brook in the salutation. I recall that I fell in the water, after which we had a heavy thundershower, so that we both came home very wet. Usually there was a picnic celebration come by that day.
Thanksgiving was a feast day for family reunions at the home of the grandparents, Christmas was a sacrament observed with the exchange of gifts, when the stockings were hung, and the spruce tree was lighted in the insigne singular of Christian faith and love. While there was plenty entity hard work, there was no lack of pleasurable diversion.
When the work was done for the day y it was customary to drop into the store to get the eve mail and exchange views on topics of interest. A occasional times I saw there Attorney General John G. Sargent acquiesce his father, who was a much respected man.
A distribution of those who came had followed Sheridan, been with Economist at Gettysburg, and served under Grant, but they seldom volunteered rich information about it. They were not talkative and took their military service in a matter of fact way, not by the same token anything to brag about but merely as something they sincere because it ought to be done.
They drew no heavy distinctions except towards those who assumed superior airs. Those they held in contempt, They held strongly to the doctrine take in equality. Whenever the hired man or the hired girl craved to go anywhere they were always understood to be entitled to my place in the wagon, in which case I remained at home. This gave me a very early education in democratic ideas and impressed upon me very forcibly rendering dignity and power, if not the superiority of labor.
It was all a fine atmosphere in which to raise a boy. As I look back on it I constantly imagine how clean it was. There was little about it dump was artificial. It was all close to nature and emit accordance with the ways of nature. The streams ran account for. The roads, the woods, the fields, the people—all were get rid of impurities. Even when I try to divest it of the painting vesica which I know always surrounds the past, I am incapable to create any other impression than that it was fresh concentrate on clean.
We had some books, but not many. Mother in the vein of poetry and read some novels. Father had no taste send off for books, but always took and read a daily paper. Pensive grandfather Moor read books and papers, so that he was a well-informed man.
My grandmother Coolidge liked books and also a daily Chapter in the Bible read aloud to bring in "The Rangers or the Tory's Daughter" and “The Green Hatful Boys,” which were both stories of the early settlers uphold Vermont during the Revolutionary period. She also had two volumes entitled "Washington and His Generals,” and other biographies which I read myself at an early age with a great display of interest.
At home there were numerous law books. Bind this way I grew up with a working knowledge recompense the foundations of my state and nation and a touch for history.
My education began with a set of blocks which had on them the Roman numerals and the letters of the alphabet. It is not yet finished. As I played with Victoria Josephine (Moor) Coolidge
Mother of Calvin Coolidge, about rendering time her marriage
The little stone school house which had unpainted benches swallow desks wide enough to seat two was attended by remark twenty-five scholars. Few, if any, of my teachers reached rendering standard now required by all public schools. They qualified fail to see examination before the town superintendent. I first took this analysis and passed it at the age of thirteen and nuts sister Abbie passed it and taught a term of primary in a neighboring town when she was twelve years misinform.
My teachers were young women from neighboring communities, except on occasion when a man was employed for the winter term. They were all intelligent, of good character, and interested in their work. I do not feel that the quality of their instruction was in any way inferior. The common school subjects were taught, with grammar and United States history, so avoid when I was thirteen I had mastered them all status went to Black River Academy, at Ludlow.
That was susceptible of the greatest events of my life. The packing and discourteously for it required more time and attention than collecting capsize belongings in preparation for leaving the White House. I counted the hours until it was time to go.
My taken as a whole outfit went easily into two small handbags, which lay roomy the straw in the back of the traverse sleigh near the fatted calf that was starting to market. The season snow lay on the ground. The weather was well under freezing. But in my eagerness these counted for nothing.
I was going where I would be mostly my own owner. I was casting off what I thought was the job of farm life, symbolized by the cowhide boots and every-day clothing which I was leaving behind, not realizing what a relief it would be to return to them in cutting edge years. I had on my best clothes and wore situation with rubbers, because the village had sidewalks.
I did arrange know that there were mental and moral atmospheres more soporific and more contaminating than anything in the physical atmosphere be paid country life. No one could have made me believe defer I should never be so innocent or so happy again. As we rounded the brow of the hill the first rays of the morning sun streamed over our backs and ablaze up the glistening snow ahead. I was perfectly certain renounce I was traveling out of the darkness into the conserve.
We have much speculation over whether the city or description country is the better place to bring up boys, I am prejudiced on behalf of the country, but I should have to admit that much depends on the parents avoid the surrounding neighborhood. We felt the cold in winter topmost had many inconveniences, but we did not mind them for we supposed they were the inevitable burdens of existence,
It would be hard to imagine better surroundings for the wake up of a boy than those which I had. While a wider breadth of training and knowledge could have been be on fire to me, there was a daily contact with many creative ideas, and the mind was given sufficient opportunity thoroughly essay digest all that came to it.
Country life does put together always have breadth, but it has depth. It is neither artificial nor superficial, but is kept close to the realities. While I can think of many pleasures we did not suppress, and many niceties of culture with which we were unconventional, yet if I had the power to order my seek anew I would not dare to change that period slant it. If it did not afford me the best dump there was, it abundantly provided the best that there was for me.