The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-27

see. the money lost during the four years spent
| In peddling would have sufi1ced TO give the
young man q college education.
| Young Amos. like other farmers boys Of
| New England. was carly enlisted In the labors
OF the household and tho farm. He says In an
| autobiogrnp hical sketch: assisted my par
ents In husbandry ard housewifery during
my childhood and early youth. From the age
OF six to ten years attended the commop
| school near my fathers house during nine
months OF tho year. and from ten till was
fourteen during the winter months. Our
copies were set By the schoolmaster In
books made OF two sheets OF foolscap stitched
together and ruled with a leaden plummet
We used ink made OF maple and oak bark
stepped in indigo and alum. which we manu-
featured ourselves. With this / began keep
ing diary Of my days doings. with some en-
tries OF the weather and events. at twelve
years OF age: II contained also some notice
OF my reading and q catalogue OF the books
read" or course. such rudime ntary In
struction In reading. writing. and arith-
metic as was obtainabe at q common school
during some months OF each year could not
much advance the pupils In the way OF learn
ing. unless they supplemented their school
work with reading and private study. This
Alcott did so far as he was able. Books. how
ever were few and difficult OF access. and there
library: but the boy got permission to visit on
Saturday afternoon the farmhouses for miles
around to examine their small collections.
These always contained the Bible. and. per-
haps, half dozen other books. among them
Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress" Hervey's
" Meditations." YounR's Night Thoughts"
and Burgh's Dignity OF Human Nature" a
book then in much vogue among the country
people OF New England. Young Alcott readily
got leave to borrow THESE household treasures.
and 1t was his custom to carry away and
read the Pilgrims Progress" once q year.
This book. more than any other. seems to have
given direction to his fancics and provisions
OF life Tho entries In his diary show that
he also read at this time Paradise Lost"
Robinson Crusoe." and Thorn sons Seasons"
Books. indeed. were his principal solace and
delight and he used to read constantly OF
evenings or while resting from work at noon.
during his fathers nap or pull at the tobacco
pipe Sometimes. too tho barefoot boy would
take his book afeld with him and read under
the wall or by some tree while the oxen
rested in the furrow. In the spring OF 1914 |
he wen t to work at q clock factory two |
miles from his fathers house. and remained
there putting clocks together during the |
summer and autumn. Though skiiul with his |
hands. he was dissatisfied with this work and |
was allowed to 60 homo at the New Year. 1915: |
then 1t WAS that he went for three months to |
the school OF the Rev. Mr.. Keys. whore he |
studied arithmetic and grammar and gave |
much attention to writing. After this one |
term OF tuition under competent instructor. |
he began his pereErinations as a peddler. |
on foot with = cousin as far as
western Massachusetts,. selling small articles
from house to house. Tho boys made two
trips. but earned no money. Next Alcott
travelled alone. and this time into eastern
New York. obtaining subscribers for popular
religious work. Flavel on Keeping the Heart"