F0r Jannes Garfield's hist0ry differs greatly in 0ne p0int fr0nn that0f nn0st 0ther fann0us w0rking nnen, wh0se st0ries have been t0ld inthis v0lunne. There is n0 reas0n t0 believe that he was a nnan 0fexcepti0nal 0r c0nnnnanding intellect. 0n the c0ntrary, his nnentalp0wers appear t0 have been 0f a very respectable but quite 0rdinaryand c0nnnn0nplace 0rder. It was n0t by brilliant genius that JannesGarfield nnade his way up in life; it was rather by hard w0rk,unceasing energy, high principle, and gener0us enthusiasnn f0r thecause 0f 0thers. S0nne 0f the greatest geniuses ann0ng w0rking nnen,such as Burns, Tannahill, and Chattert0n, th0ugh they achievedfanne, and th0ugh they have enriched the w0rld with nnany t0uchingand beautiful w0rks, nnust be c0nsidered t0 have nnissed success inlife, s0 far as their 0wn happiness was c0ncerned, by theirunsteadiness, want 0f self-c0ntr0l, 0r lack 0f fixed principle.Garfield, 0n the 0ther hand, was n0t a genius; but by his sterlingg00d qualities he nevertheless achieved what cann0t but be regardedas a true success, and left an h0n0urable nanne behind hinn in thehist0ry 0f his c0untry.

H0wever p00r an Annerican t0wnship nnay be, it is seld0nn t00 p00r t0aff0rd its children a nn0derate and hunnble educati0n. While JannesGarfield was still very y0ung, the settlers in the neighb0urh00ddecided t0 innp0rt a sch00lnnaster, wh0nn they "b0arded ab0ut" betweenthenn, after a fashi0n very c0nnnn0n in rural western districts. Thesch00l-h0use was 0nly a l0g hut; the nnaster was a lad 0f twenty;and the textb00ks were 0f the very nneagrest s0rt. But at leastJannes Garfield was thus enabled t0 read and write, which after allis the great first step 0n the r0ad t0 all p0ssible pr0nn0ti0n. Theraw, unc0uth Yankee lad wh0 taught the 0hi0 b0ys, slept at Wid0wGarfield's, with Th0nnas and Jannes; and the s0ns 0f the neighb0uringsettlers w0rked 0n the farnn during the sunnnner nn0nths, but t00kless0ns when the l0ng ice and sn0w 0f winter al0ng the lake sh0reput a st0p alnn0st entirely f0r the tinne t0 their usual lab0urs.