The Cairo bulletin., 1907-09-27

- cents cord.
and hrothar-who gave a loving
welcome to the new baby brother,
i The Garfield family was a happy
| one till d day. when the little James
| was but BIS months old. there fell a
| heavy blow which left dark shad-
ow hanging over the log cabin in the
woods. A fire had broken out In the
forest and threatened 10 destroy tine
house and outbuildings, which COM
tanned all the worldly goods Of the
Garfields. For hours Abraham Gar
field husband and father brayely
fought the flames, succeeding In lay
ing the fire. but thereby bringing
death to himself, for he caught a
heavy cold. which caused conges-
ton, from which he suddenly died.
Knowing that his illness was fatal
one, the good, true husband called
his weeping. wife to his side and
said: Il have planted four little
saplings In these woods. wife, | must
now leave them to your care"
And then he closed his eyes for
ever on this world.
After the burial OF Abraham Car
field the neigh1ors and relatives adj
vised the poor widow to give away
and "blnd OUT her children, thus
relieving herself OF so heavy bur-
den as -four little saplings" But
with mother-love the noble woman
said: mo-, and held her little ones
the closer to her breast. They were
hers-and for them she would
work, with the assistance of her
eldest boy, Thomas nine years old
at his fathers death-the young
widow GARFIELD split rails and built
a fence round the wheatfieid. She
carded wool, wove cloth, spun flax
and kept her children comfortably
clothed.
In all the world there has been no
nobler, grander. drawer type of wom-
anhood than we study tn the mother
of James A. Garfield.
When little James was only three
years old he attended school with his
brother and two sisters. sitting
quietly throughout the long hours on
the hard split log bench in the little
log schoolhouse. which was erected
on one corner of his mothers farm.
As an lnducement 10 the neighboring
families TO build a schoolhouse
Widow Garfield had generously do
mated the site, for she was deter
mined to give her children the adj
vantage of a common school educa-
ton If nothing better
And so the years wore on, and the
little James grew to the verge of his
teens in poor bat most wholesome
home atmosphere. Then he decided
that It was high time he should earn
some money to help his mother i'm
prove the place. As big brother
Thomas could now take full charge
of the small farm James looked
about him for outside" employ
ment. He obtained his first work
away from home with a farmer who
manufactured ''black salts" For
his services he received 50 a month
and his board. 1t is safe to say that
tho several months earnings of
James proved quite a fortune TO his
family to whom he so unselishly
carried II.
Later James took up the work of
cutting wood for his uncle. who paid
him % cents cord for firewood.
Then followed several months of
mule-driving on the canal, filling the
role of "towpath bow" Bat from
this service the boy James returned
home sick with ague. which kept him
on his back for some months.
On bis recovery. and at the earn
est solicitation Of his good mother,
he went to Chester TO attend the
Geauga seminary, working his
way" through the school and living
in { small room where he boarded
himself. 50
Then followed several seasons OF
district school teaching, boarding
round" among the pupils.
Thus did James \. Garfield dig
out By his own hands the path along
rugged moHatainside which I'D
him always upward and onward 20
higher things