was a hard place and my home was with a hard family. The fall that I was there the typhoid fever raged, and I was one of the victims. When I had to take the bed I was placed in a small room, without ventilation or screens, but an abundance of flies. I had no nurse, but had to care for myself. There were none, except the doctor, that seemed to care whether I lived or died— all predicted that I would die. The doctor had sixty-two cases on his hands, and could only get around about once in every forty-eight hours. I had to wait on myself. All the assistance I would get, a cup of water and my medicine would be placed on a table where I could reach it.
Sometimes I could recollect to take medicine as directed, sometimes I could not. Upon one occasion the doctor having left I undertook to take the first dose as directed. I reached for the cup of water, I was too feeble to raise up, my hand gave way and the water was tilled into the vessel where my medicine was, and all was spoiled. I did without till the doctor's return. I was then in a critical condition and the doctor now realized how sadly I was neglected. He went into an adjoining room where the woman of the house was and gave her a sound cursing. I would doze, the flies would get into my mouth, I would wake up and take them out. Say what you please, you fatalist, but I shall ever hold that in answer to my father's dying prayer I was providentially kept through such periods in my childhood.
I remained in Creelsboro until the following spring; I then went across the river to Clinton county and worked as a hand for Frank Irwin at $8 per month. When crops were made I had money enough to meet the expenses of my sickness in Creelsboro.
I then determined to learn the saddle and harness trade. With this in view I went to Monticello and made an agreement with James Warden, the saddle and harness man of that town. I was to work the first year for my victuals and clothes. I had not been there long till thoughts of the future passed through my mind. I soliloquized as follows: "I am now seventeen years old; the responsibilities of manhood will soon be upon me. For such I am not prepared; this will never do. I must go to school." I had no money, and but few clothes. A ten months school had just opened in Stockton Valley. I sent a note to the principal and gave him my condition, and told him I wanted to go to school. He wrote to me immediately, urging me to enter his school and agreeing to be surety for my board and tuition. I determined to go. Mr. and Mrs. Warden tried to dissuade me from that conclusion. I was, however, determined and was soon in school.
I missed three weeks of the first five months of school, which ended the last of December. By request of the patrons a vacation of six weeks was given, that the severest of winter might pass before the last session opened. I went to Creelsboro and proposed to the saddler there that I would make saddles on the halves if he would furnish the material. To this he agreed. I had to miss one week of school to
