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my host to pay my board in advance。 This； he ex…
plained； was due to no lack of faith in me； the
money would enable him to go ‘‘outside'' to work；
leaving his family well supplied with provisions。 I
allowed him to go to the school committee and col…
lect my board in advance； at the rate of three dol…
lars a week for the season。 When I presented myself
at my new boarding…place； however； two days later；
I found the house nailed up and deserted； the man
and his family had departed with my money； and
I was left； as my committeemen sympathetically
remarked； ‘‘high and dry。'' There were only two
dollars a week coming to me after that； so I walked
back and forth between my home and my school；
almost four miles； twice a day； and during this en…
forced exercise there was ample opportunity to re…
flect on the fleeting joy of riches。
In the mean time war had been declared。 When
the news came that Fort Sumter had been fired
on； and that Lincoln had called for troops； our men
were threshing。 There was only one threshing…
machine in the region at that time； and it went
from place to place； the farmers doing their thresh…
ing whenever they could get the machine。 I re…
member seeing a man ride up on horseback； shout…
ing out Lincoln's demand for troops and explaining
that a regiment was being formed at Big Rapids。
Before he had finished speaking the men on the ma…
chine had leaped to the ground and rushed off to
enlist； my brother Jack； who had recently joined us；
among them。 In ten minutes not one man was left
in the field。 A few months later my brother Tom
enlisted as a buglerhe was a mere boy at the time
and not long after that my father followed the example
of his sons and served until the war was ended。 He
had entered on the twenty…ninth of August； 1862； as
an army steward； he came back to us with the rank
of lieutenant and assistant surgeon of field and staff。
Between those years I was the principal support
of our family； and life became a strenuous and tragic
affair。 For months at a time we had no news from
the front。 The work in our community； if it was
done at all； was done by despairing women whose
hearts were with their men。 When care had become
our constant guest； Death entered our home as well。
My sister Eleanor had married； and died in childbirth；
leaving her baby to me； and the blackest hours of
those black years were the hours that saw her pass…
ing。 I can see her still； lying in a stupor from which
she roused herself at intervals to ask about her child。
She insisted that our brother Tom should name the
baby； but Tom was fighting for his country； unless
he had already preceded Eleanor through the wide
portal that was opening before her。 I could only
tell her that I had written to him； but before the
assurance was an hour old she would climb up from
the gulf of unconsciousness with infinite effort to
ask if we had received his reply。 At last； to calm
her； I told her it had come； and that Tom had chosen
for her little son the name of Arthur。 She smiled
at this and drew a deep breath； then； still smiling；
she passed away。 Her baby slipped into her vacant
place and almost filled our heavy hearts； but only
for a short time； for within a few months after his
mother's death his father married again and took
him from me； and it seemed that with his going
we had lost all that made life worth while。
The problem of living grew harder with every…
day。 We eked out our little income in every way
we could； taking as boarders the workers in the log…
ging…camps； making quilts； which we sold； and losing
no chance to earn a penny in any legitimate manner。
Again my mother did such outside sewing as she
could secure； yet with every month of our effort
the gulf between our income and our expenses grew
wider； and the price of the bare necessities of exis…
ence｛sic｝ climbed up and up。 The largest amount I
could earn at teaching was six dollars a week； and
our school year included only two terms of thir…
teen weeks each。 It was an incessant struggle to
keep our land； to pay our taxes； and to live。 Cal…
ico was selling at fifty cents a yard。 Coffee was
one dollar a pound。 There were no men left to
grind our corn； to get in our crops； or to care for
our live stock； and all around us we saw our
struggle reflected in the lives of our neighbors。
At long intervals word came to us of battles in
which my father's regimentthe Tenth Michigan
Cavalry Volunteersor those of my brothers were
engaged； and then longer intervals followed in which
we heard no news。 After Eleanor's death my
brother Tom was wounded； and for months we lived
in terror of worse tidings； but he finally recovered。
I was walking seven and eight miles a day； and doing
extra work before and after school hours； and my
health began to fail。 Those were years I do not
like to look back uponyears in which life had de…
generated into a treadmill whose monotony was
broken only by the grim messages from the front。
My sister Mary married and went to Big Rapids to
live。 I had no time to dream my dream； but the star
of my one purpose still glowed in my dark horizon。
It seemed that nothing short of a miracle could lift
my feet from their plodding way and set them on the
wider path toward which my eyes were turned； but
I never lost faith that in some manner the miracle
would come to pass。 As certainly as I have ever
known anything； I KNEW that I was going to college！
III
HIGH…SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS
The end of the Civil War brought freedom to
me； too。 When peace was declared my father
and brothers returned to the claim in the wilderness
which we women of the family had labored so des…
perately to hold while they were gone。 To us； as to
others； the final years of the war had brought many
changes。 My sister Eleanor's place was empty。
Mary； as I have said； had married and gone to live in
Big Rapids； and my mother and I were alone with my
brother Harry； now a boy of fourteen。 After the
return of our men it was no longer necessary to de…
vote every penny of my earnings to the maintenance
of our home。 For the first time I could begin to
save a portion of my income toward the fulfilment
of my college dream； but even yet there was a long；
arid stretch ahead of me before the college doors
came even distantly into sight。
The largest salary I could earn by teaching in our
Northern woods was one hundred and fifty…six dollars
a year； for two terms of thirteen weeks each； and
from this； of course； I had to deduct the cost of my
board and clothingthe sole expenditure I allowed
myself。 The dollars for an education accumulated
very； very slowly； until at last； in desperation； weary
of seeing the years of my youth rush past； bearing
my hopes with them； I took a sudden and radical
step。 I gave up teaching； left our cabin in the
woods； and went to B