The Life and Public Services of James A. Garfield

-Bread and Milk Diet.-First Experience in School-Teaching.-Becomes Intere

rticles, James found his small amount of funds rapidly d

don't believe I shall now," he said to his cousins, as he st

worth, the one carpenter at Chester, was very glad to engag

pay all his bills that term, and carry home a few dollars besides. From that time forward he never faile

ion every fortnight upon subjects chosen sometimes by the principal, and sometimes by the students themselves. These essays were occasionally read before the whole school, an

m in mathematics. The school library supplied him with books of reference, and his ready memory never failed him. The students at Geauga listened with astonishment to the eloquent appeals of their rough, ungainly schoolmate. The secret of his power was

experiment of living upon a bread and milk diet. He told his cousins they had been too extravagant in th

to thirty-one cents each, per week. But their strength also had become reduced; and while still making milk their princip

e principal at Geauga had told him that he was fully competent, and wi

to teach in our district?" was the f

e his excellent recommendation from M

at a teacher had already been engaged. About three miles north was another

ting followed, but James was unab

n store for you," said his mother; but James was

by a call from one of the committee

were looking for a school. Now, the boys all know you in this district, and they ar

But after talking the matter over with his Uncle A

t friendly relation was established between pupils and teacher. They felt he had no desire to domineer over them, but that he would maintain order and decorum at any cost. In "boarding around," as was the custom for district school teachers in those days, he

this time that he became deeply interested in religious questions. His mother was a member of the Church of

eed is a

ve in God,

the Christ, the Son of the

hrist is a

e agent in the conversion of sinners,

Testament Scriptures are

shment for the wicked, and fu

s a prayer-hearing an

e Bible is ou

and declared that he differed from them only in his "disbelief in the bindin

tions it received from both the Baptist and Freewill Baptist

Christ, and when, that same winter, he was baptized in the little river at Orange, he became at once an earnest champion of the new church. In all religious discu

s spoken words, and the Disciples felt that a brig