hom, though neck and neck in the pursuit of those college honors that each most highly prized, there was never a shadow of jealousy or distrust, while their sympathies met and mingled like fibres of a

of imparting information both to them and others, render it imperative that we should speak[Pg 10] more definitely respecting his family and home life, to which we have heretofore

lderness because they wanted a home, and could buy the wild land for ten cents per acre. Full of enterprise, and strong in limb, this little community felt themselves equal to the struggle. They had as yet neither sawmill nor gristmill, though a noble stream fell over the rocks close to their doors, but pounded the corn they raised on burns

ough the woods to the village-that is, a piece of bark and wood was taken off the side of trees with an axe, for a guide to the traveler. The path was crooked, going through those po

the ravines, and at other times in the latter part of it, when the crust would bear light cattle, they went through the woods with oxen to mill

y cutting the wild grass that grew in the swamp and along the banks of the river, and felling yellow birch and maple trees in summer for browse. By dint of patient labor, their circumstances improved from year to year; more land was cleared, their stoc

there was not work sufficient to afford a blacksmith constant employment, and consequently, a living. But there was money in the logs and shingles, and necessity sharpens invention. They hired John Drew, the smith at the village, to come in the fall, just before the river shut up, bringing horse-shoes, ox-shoes, nails, and his tools. He went round from house to house, the oxen were cast on the barn floors, and the shoes put on. Thus they managed, feeling more and more the want of a smith.

that long wilderness road never seemed so short before. After a while he opened his mind to his wife, who encouraged him to make the attempt. But he had no money to buy either iron or tools, and iron in those days was difficult to obtain, and high in price, being nearly all imported. It seemed a hopeless undertaking; still he could not banish the thought from his mind. It haunted him; lay down with him at night, and rose up with him in the morning. One day he broke a chain in the woods; he had but[Pg 14] two. The next day came a snow storm, affording leisure. The smith was eleven miles off. He could not do his work without the chain, and r

the staple, and put it into the yoke. When the meal was finished, and Mrs. Richardson had washed the dishes, and put the children to bed, she sat down to her cards, with a basket of wool beside her, while the father of the family, having taken off his shoes, and hung his buskins

arting from his reverie, and flinging fresh

f what,

e into the river and give it up? All I have done this blessed day, besides taking care of

u, he wouldn't have thought he could do it at all. I th

say that because you know I feel a little down

, in order to get it mended, and a half bushel of corn besides on your shoulder to pay John[Pg 16] Drew for doing it; for we've got no money. It would have been the same with the staple. You couldn't have worked your oxen without it, and would have been forced to leave your work in

corn for iron, and John Drew has so much produce brought to him now that he is loath to take any more; says his hous

ey; had to run in debt for our land. Now we've nearly paid for the land, we cut hay, keep quite a stock of cattle and sheep, have

ok on the brig

s the best sid

clay, had but two rooms in it, the partition between them being blankets hung up. The fireplace and oven were built of rough stones, and

the land. I'm half a mind to take a little. If I only had a hammer, a punch, something to cut iron with, and a pair of tongs to hold it, I c

for anything, let us take it for the school. They are going

he school was to be kept. Richardson and his wife had received a good common school educa