as quick, his memory retentive,
and he soon out-distanced all competitors. Every evening during the
session he had found his way into the carpenter's shop, and with such
results, that he finished the term in good health, without debt, and
with nearly a pound in his pocket.

Now he was resolved to try his hand at "keeping school." But at first
he had some difficulty in finding a school to keep. His youthful
appearance frightened the managers at one place; they did not want "a
boy to teach at their school." His second and third applications were
too late; the vacancies were filled up. At the next place he was even
more discouraged, for, said the manager, "We had one fellow from Geauga
Seminary, and he made such a botch of it, that we don't want another."

As frequently happens, the opportunity came just when hope was lowest.
He reached home thoroughly discouraged with these repeated refusals,
and almost too hopeless to respond to his mother's kindly, cheerful
words. But there was a purpose in all this apparent failure. At his
own door lay the task which was to try the metal in the man, and it was
here that young Garfield was to prove the master spirit that was in him.

At a place close by, called The Ledge, was a school without a teacher.
And next morning one of the members of the committee of management came
over to offer the post of master to young Garfield.

James was eager enough to secure a school, yet he hesitated to accept
this offer. The Ledge was a district notorious for the roughness of
its inhabitants, and for the unruly character of its young people.
Besides, many of the youths in this school were old acquaintances of
Garfield, and the young teacher naturally shrank from undertaking such
a charge.

After duly considering the matter, however, Garfield accepted the post.
His pupils were the sons and daughters of the neighbouring farmers, and
many of them were quite grown up. They worked on the farm in the
summer, and then attended school for a few months in the winter.

Garfield, of course, knew well enough that while among such a class
there were a few like himself, anxious to get an education, a still
larger number were quite indifferent, and looked upon the school as a
place for unbridled fun. Two previous masters they had already driven
out, and the committee had experienced as much difficulty in procuring
a master, as Garfield had found in securing a school.

James feared that his scholars,