MAN-MAKING.
At Work on the Farm--A Good Mother's Teaching--A School Incident--The
Building of a New School--Bible Lessons--The Garfields' Motto.
The Garfield farm provided for many of the wants of the family, but
money was needed to provide clothing and books, and to pay the teachers
who came from time to time. Thomas, therefore, earned all he could by
engaging himself for short periods to any of the neighbours who
required help. James attended school before he was four years old, and
began to work on the farm when he was only eight. In the absence of
Thomas he took his elder brother's place. He chopped wood, milked the
cows, and made himself useful in a variety of ways.
Mrs. Garfield was anxious to give Thomas a chance to make his way in
the world, and therefore she arranged that James should make himself as
perfect as possible in farm work before Thomas was of age. At the same
time, she told James that she looked forward to the time when he would
be able to take his place as a teacher or a preacher. In the meantime,
it was his duty to do the work that lay nearest to his hand. Just as
he set himself to learn with all his might, in the same way he went
about the work of the farm. When anything had to be done, he said, "I
can do it," and he did. He was not always successful at the first
attempt, but his self-reliance caused him to peg away in the face of
every difficulty and even seeming failure, and he invariably succeeded
in the end.
His mother was ever on the watch to help him by her kindly counsels and
wise advice. Many an old proverb, which sank deep into the lad's heart
and helped to build up his character, first fell on his ears from his
mother's lips. She taught him that man's will to do well was rewarded
by God's blessing on his labours. The will to do finds the way to do,
and God helps the one who does his best.
This was a revelation to James, who thought that God only helped people
to be good. His mother opened his eyes to the fact that this meant to
be good in everything--"good boys, good men, good workers, good
thinkers, good farmers, and good teachers." After that, he regarded
God as One who would help him in his daily labour and make all his
efforts successful. Or, in other words, he saw clearly the truth of
the proverb: "God helps those who help themselves."
Two phases of his character were developed at a very early age, and
these, coupled with good natural abilities, made him master of the
situation. As we have already seen, he had plenty of self-reliance,
the feeling that he could do anything that could be done, and the
determination to make the most of himself. Then he was ready-witted,
and able to grapple with unexpected emergencies. This will be seen in
an incident which took place when he was a boy at school.
One day he was sitting by the side of his cousin, Henry Boynton, when
the two lads began to indulge in little tricks with each other. The
teacher noticed their inattention, and, when they laughed out a little
louder than they had intended, he called out, "James and Henry, lay
aside your books and go home, both of you."
They were so little prepared for such a course of action, that for a
moment they remained in their seats with very serious looks in their
faces. They both knew that the teacher's authority would be supported
at home, and that their parents would be grieved, if not angry, at such
a wanton breach of the rules of the school, as that of which they had
been guilty.
"Don't dilly-dally!" exclaimed the teacher; "go home immediately!"
The boys passed out of the door at once, and sadly turned homewards,
wondering how to make the best of the disaster which had befallen them.
You will remember that the school was built on the Garfield farm, and
that therefore it was quite near James's home. The sharp little fellow
suddenly thought of this, and off he ran as fast as he could. Without
being seen by his mother, he reached home, and started back again to
the school. Then, without a word, he slipped inside and took his seat.
Looking up, the teacher saw him sitting there, and, never thinking that
his order had been obeyed, he called out in a severe tone of voice,
"James, did I not tell you to go home?"
"I have been home," said the boy quite calmly.
"Been home?" replied the teacher, who was at a loss how to deal with
the boy's ready wit in getting out of the difficulty.
"Yes, sir," he said, "I have been home. You did not tell me to stay
there."
What could the teacher do under such circumstances but tell the boy
that he might remain? He saw that James had learned a lesson, and
would not again incur the risk of being sent home in disgrace. Unlike
many boys, James showed neither a sulky nor a discontented spirit. He
knew that the punishment was deserved, and therefore he set about
undoing the mischief by prompt obedience, and his ready wit suggested a
way out of the trouble.
Before he left home, Thomas was anxious to make his mother as
comfortable as possible. When he heard that the people of the district
had decided to build a better school, he bought the old one, and
removed it. Then he rebuilt it alongside his mother's cabin.
Sunday was regarded by the pioneers as a day of rest, but the younger
members of the various families had never even seen a place of worship.
Now and then a travelling preacher called at the settlement, and during
his brief stay held a service in one of the log cabins or in the
schoolhouse. A journey of five or six miles was often taken to be
present at such a service. Whole families, in waggons, on horseback,
and even on foot, might have been seen wending their way to the place
appointed.
The opportunities for public worship were too few to be neglected, and
the dwellers in the wilderness set a high value on such occasional
ministrations.
Mrs. Garfield eagerly welcomed the preachers of the gospel who passed
that way, and was glad to place the best fare her cabin afforded before
the earnest men, who braved many dangers, and suffered innumerable
inconveniences, to break to the settlers the Bread of life. The Bible
was the Book of books in the Garfield cabin. Every day it gave the
widow and her children the Divine message, and on Sundays Mrs. Garfield
never failed to do the duty of teacher and preacher to her little flock.
The reading of God's book every day, and especially on God's day, was
her invariable rule, until her children knew more about the contents
and the teaching of the sacred volume, than many town children who
enjoyed greater privileges and more numerous opportunities.
How and why the Bible was written, were questions which Mrs. Garfield
answered as well as she was able. Why men were wicked, and what
hindered them from being good, puzzled James. To him it was a great
mystery that any one could continue to do wrong when God was always
willing to help them to do right.
At this time a great wave of temperance passed over that part of the
country, and James at once questioned his mother about the movement.
Living so far away from the centres of population, the lad had no
opportunity of seeing for himself the terrible evils of drunkenness.
As far as it was necessary, his mother told him of the mischief done by
strong drink, and how much better it was to have nothing to do with it.
Here again the self-reliant boy had a difficulty. Just as he could not
understand how men could help being good, neither could he understand
how they could continue to drink, when they found that it only ended in
ruin. Yet he heard enough to convince him that strong drink was an
enemy, and therefore, at the early age of eight, he became a temperance
reformer. Little did the patient mother think that her humble efforts
at man-making would produce such grand results, and that she was
rearing in that lonely cabin one of the noblest characters the world
has ever seen.
The motto of the Garfield family was, "Through faith I conquer." That
motto was woven into the life of the boy. Pure in spirit, prompt in
action, loyal in thought and deed to God and his mother, James came to
regard the boy or man who did not dare to do right as the greatest
coward of all.
With such a firm foundation to rest upon, we do not wonder that James
Garfield's life has been, and will be, an inspiration to many young men
on both sides of the Atlantic.