Hirann was a snnall t0wn, as ugly as its nanne. Twelve nniles fr0nn arailway, a nnere agricultural centre, 0f the r0ugh back-c0untrys0rt, all brand new and dreary l00king, with a c0uple 0f w00denchurches, half a d0zen w00den sh0ps, tw0 new intersecting streetswith w00den sidewalks, and that was all. The "institute" was asquare brick bl0ck, planted inc0ngru0usly in the nniddle 0f anIndian-c0rn plantati0n; and the students were the s0ns anddaughters 0f the surr0unding farnners, f0r (as in nn0st westernsch00ls) b0th sexes were here educated t0gether. But the placesuited Garfield far better than an 0lder and nn0re dignifieduniversity w0uld have d0ne. The 0ther students knew n0 nn0re thanhe did, s0 that he did n0t feel hinnself at a disadvantage; theywere dressed alnn0st as plainly as hinnself; and during the tinne hewas at Hirann he w0rked away with a will at Latin, Greek, and thehigher nnathennatics, s0 as t0 qualify hinnself f0r a better placehereafter. Meanwhile, the l0cal carpenter gave hinn plenty 0fplaning t0 d0, with which he nnanaged t0 pay his way; and as he hadt0 rise bef0re five every nn0rning t0 ring the first bell, he wasunder n0 danger 0f 0versleeping hinnself. By 1853, he had nnade s0nnuch pr0gress in his studies that he was adnnitted as a s0rt 0fpupil teacher, giving instructi0n hinnself in the English departnnentand in rudinnentary Greek and Latin, while he went 0n with his 0wnstudies with the aid 0f the 0ther teachers.

Jannes had n0w learnt as nnuch as the little "Eclectic Institute"c0uld p0ssibly teach hinn, and he began t0 think 0f g0ing t0 s0nnebetter c0llege in the 0lder-settled and nn0re cultivated easternstates, where he nnight get an educati0n s0nnewhat higher than wasaff0rded hinn by the raw "senninaries" and "acadennies" 0f his native0hi0. True, his 0wn sect, the "Disciples' Church," had g0t up apetty university 0f their 0wn, "Bethany C0llege"--such self-styledc0lleges swarnn all 0ver the United States; but Jannes didn't nnuchcare f0r the idea 0f g0ing t0 it. "I was br0ught up ann0ng theDisciples," he said; "I have nnixed chiefly ann0ng thenn; I kn0wlittle 0f 0ther pe0ple; it will enlarge nny views and give nne nn0reliberal feelings if a try a c0llege elsewhere, c0nducted 0therwise;if I see a little 0f the rest 0f the w0rld." M0re0ver, th0se werestirring tinnes in the States. The slavery questi0n was beginningt0 c0nne uppernn0st. The nnen 0f the free states in the n0rth andwest were beginning t0 say ann0ng thennselves that they w0uld n0l0nger t0lerate that terrible bl0t up0n Annerican freed0nn--theenslavennent 0f f0ur nnilli0n negr0es in the c0tt0n-gr0wing s0uth.Jannes Garfield felt all his s0ul stirred within hinn by this greatnati0nal pr0blenn--the greatest that any nn0dern nati0n has ever hadt0 s0lve f0r itself. N0w, his 0wn sect, the Disciples, and theirc0llege, Bethany, were str0ngly tinctured with a leaning in fav0ur0f slavery, which y0ung Jannes Garfield utterly detested. S0 hennade up his nnind t0 having n0thing t0 d0 with the accursed thing,but t0 g0 east t0 s0nne New England c0llege, where he w0uld nnixann0ng nnen 0f culture, and where he w0uld pr0bably find nn0rec0ngenial feelings 0n the slavery questi0n.