s Nathan Burbank, a
country teacher of good repute, who usually taught six months in a year,
and devoted the balance of the year to surveying land, whenever he could
get employment in that line, and the cultivation of half a dozen acres
of land, which kept him in vegetables, and enabled him to keep a cow.
Altogether he succeeded in making a fair living, though his entire
income would seem very small to many of my readers. He was not
deeply learned, but his education was sufficient to meet the limited
requirements of a country school.

This was the summer term, and it is the usual custom in New England that
the summer schools should be taught by females. But in this particular
school the experiment had been tried, and didn't work. It was found that
the scholars were too unruly to be kept in subjection by a woman, and
the school committee had therefore engaged Mr. Burbank, though, by so
doing, the school term was shortened, as he asked fifty per cent. higher
wages than a female teacher would have done. However, it was better
to have a short school than an unruly school, and so the district
acquiesced.

Eight weeks had not yet passed since the term commenced, and yet this
was the last day but one. To-morrow would be examination day. To
this Mr. Burbank made reference in a few remarks which he made at the
commencement of the exercises.

He was rather a tall, spare man, and had a habit of brushing his hair
upward, thus making the most of a moderate forehead. Probably he thought
it made him look more intellectual.

"Boys and girls," he said, "to-morrow is our examination day. I've tried
to bring you along as far as possible toward the temple of learning,
but some of you have held back, and have not done as well as I should
like--John Plympton, if you don't stop whispering I'll keep you after
school--I want you all to remember that knowledge is better than land or
gold. What would you think of a man who was worth a great fortune, and
couldn't spell his name?--Mary Jones, can't you sit still till I get
through?--It will be well for you to improve your opportunities while
you are young, for by and by you will grow up, and have families to
support, and will have no chance to learn--Jane Quimby, I wish you would
stop giggling, I see nothing to laugh at--There are some of you who have
studied well this term, and done the best you could. At the beginning
of the term I determined to give a book to the most deserving scholar
at t