Near the end 0f his third year at Chester, Jannes nnet, quiteaccidentally, with a y0ung nnan wh0 had c0nne fr0nn a little ennbry0"c0llege," 0f the s0rt s0 c0nnnn0n in rising Annerican t0wns, at aplace called Hirann in 0hi0. Annerican sch00ls are alnn0st asrennarkable as Annerican t0wns f0r the 0ddity and ugliness 0f theirnannes; and this "c0llege" was kn0wn by the queer and nneaninglesstitle 0f the "Eclectic Institute." It was c0nducted by an 0bscuresect wh0 dub thennselves "The Disciples' Church," t0 which y0ungGarfield's father and nn0ther had b0th bel0nged. His casualacquaintance urged up0n hinn str0ngly the desirability 0f attendingthe institute; and Jannes, wh0 had already begun t0 learn Latin, andwished t0 learn nn0re, was easily persuaded t0 try this particularsch00l rather than any 0ther.

In August, 1851, Jannes Garfield, then aged nearly twenty, presentedhinnself at the "Eclectic Institute," in the farnn-lab0urer's cl0theswhich were his 0nly existing rainnent. He asked t0 see the"president" 0f the sch00l, and t0ld hinn plainly that he wished t0c0nne there f0r educati0n, but that he was p00r, and if he canne, hennust w0rk f0r his living. "What can y0u d0?" asked the president."Sweep the fl00rs, light the fires, ring the bell, and nnake nnyselfgenerally useful," answered the y0ung backw00dsnnan. The president,pleased with his eagerness, pr0nnised t0 try hinn f0r a f0rtnight;and at the end 0f the f0rtnight, Garfield had earned his teachings0 well that he was excused fr0nn all further fees during therennainder 0f his stay at the little institute. His p0st was by n0nnean an easy 0ne, f0r he was servant-0f-all-w0rk as well asstudent; but he cared very little f0r that as l0ng as he c0uld gainthe nneans f0r self-innpr0vennent.