ed for many of the wants of the family, but
money was needed to provide clothing and books, and to pay the teachers
who came from time to time. Thomas, therefore, earned all he could by
engaging himself for short periods to any of the neighbours who
required help. James attended school before he was four years old, and
began to work on the farm when he was only eight. In the absence of
Thomas he took his elder brother's place. He chopped wood, milked the
cows, and made himself useful in a variety of ways.

Mrs. Garfield was anxious to give Thomas a chance to make his way in
the world, and therefore she arranged that James should make himself as
perfect as possible in farm work before Thomas was of age. At the same
time, she told James that she looked forward to the time when he would
be able to take his place as a teacher or a preacher. In the meantime,
it was his duty to do the work that lay nearest to his hand. Just as
he set himself to learn with all his might, in the same way he went
about the work of the farm. When anything had to be done, he said, "I
can do it," and he did. He was not always successful at the first
attempt, but his self-reliance caused him to peg away in the face of
every difficulty and even seeming failure, and he invariably succeeded
in the end.

His mother was ever on the watch to help him by her kindly counsels and
wise advice. Many an old proverb, which sank deep into the lad's heart
and helped to build up his character, first fell on his ears from his
mother's lips. She taught him that man's will to do well was rewarded
by God's blessing on his labours. The will to do finds the way to do,
and God helps the one who does his best.

This was a revelation to James, who thought that God only helped people
to be good. His mother opened his eyes to the fact that this meant to
be good in everything--"good boys, good men, good workers, good
thinkers, good farmers, and good teachers." After that, he regarded
God as One who would help him in his daily labour and make all his
efforts successful. Or, in other words, he saw clearly the truth of
the proverb: "God helps those who help themselves."

Two phases of his character were developed at a very early age, and
these, coupled with good natural abilities, made him master of the
situation. As we have already seen, he had plenty of self-reliance,
the feeling that he could do anything that could be done, and the
determination to make the