had from time to time with old
Willy have been more interesting than those upon the subject of schools
and schoolmasters in the days when he was young.

In the early part of the nineteenth century education was conducted in
a primitive fashion at Ardmuirland. In a small community, consisting
almost entirely of Catholics, and those mostly in poor circumstances, a
trained teacher was rarely to be found. In many country districts like
ours the task of instructing the young devolved upon one or other of
the better educated of the crofter class. For in those days even
reading and writing--not to mention "counting," or arithmetic, as we
style it--constituted a liberal education in Ardmuirland, and many of
the people were unable to boast of possessing either. Hence when one
of the community was sufficiently versed in such accomplishments he was
looked up to as a qualified instructor.

Willy had passed through the hands of more than one of such
schoolmasters, and his recollections on the subject are interesting.
The one who seems to have made the most impression upon his memory was
a better informed man than is usually found in the class to which he
belonged.

"Finlay Farquharson wes the best o' them a'! There wes saxty or
siventy bairns went to his school at Carnavruick when I wes a loon.
He'd been to Ameriky, ye ken, sir, and I doot he'd brought back wi' him
a bit o' the Yankee tongue. Faix! He had a lively tongue! He niver
wanted his answer when he had to come oot wi' it."

Farquharson's "Academy" was his little living-room--not over-spacious
for such an assembly; but in those days no parental government
legislated for so many cubic feet of space for each child, and they
seemed to keep in health and strength in spite of that fact. The
school assembled in what we may term the winter months only, which in
Scotland may be reckoned as nearly two-thirds of the year. The
remaining months were occupied in farming work both by master and
scholars.

During the term (as we may call it) the procedure was as follows:
Farquharson was accustomed to rise about four o'clock and to work for
two or three hours at threshing corn. After an early breakfast he made
preparations for his scholastic duties by clearing out of the way all
unnecessary furniture--though there was little that was
superfluous--and placing the long planks supported by big stones which
served for forms. As some children were sure to be occupied with class