r. The sons
were all my seniors, and my acquaintance with them was limited, but
when I became a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives,
in January, 1842, Luther S. Cushing, then the clerk, came to me, and
after some words of congratulation, gave me this advice: "Never
champion any private scheme, unless the parties are your constituents."
Good advice, which I followed in all my legislative experience.

During the four winters of my term with Mr. Heywood, I attended the
school, studying the usual branches with something of algebra,
geometry, and Latin grammar. It was during these years that the
teacher, Mr. Kilburn, created such an interest in his plans that he
obtained a contribution of twenty-four dollars with which he
purchased a twelve-inch celestial and a twelve-inch terrestrial globe.
Several pleasant evenings were devoted to a study of the heavens with
the aid of the celestial globe. I attended usually, and thus I gained
a partial knowledge of the constellations, and an acquaintance with
some of the stars by name and location. The post-office gave me
access to several publications of the day, and in one or two instances
I obtained a few subscribers to journals, and thus secured a free copy
for myself. _The Penny Magazine_ I obtained in that way for two years.
In the cholera seasons of 1832-3 and 1834, the people were so alarmed
that they hesitated to take letters and papers from the post-office.
For a time gum-camphor was thought to be a preventive against the
contagion.

Between 1830 and 1834 the ambition of the town was stimulated by the
building of a new road from Fitchburg to Shirley. It was claimed that
a shorter and more nearly level route to Boston from Fitchburg and the
country above was thus secured. For a time the travel was
considerable, but the teamsters preferred the old roads, the old
taverns, and the old acquaintances. The construction of the Fitchburg
railroad in 1844 ended the business from the country to Boston over the
old highways.

In the month of November, 1834, I had a call from Mr. Joseph Hazen, of
Shirley, who asked me to accept the post of teacher in the school at
Pound Hill, half-way between Shirley Village and Shirley Centre. The
pay was sixteen dollars per month in addition to board. After making
an arrangement with Mr. Heywood, by which I was to pay him eight
dollars for the twenty-six days in December, I accepted the invitation,
and after an examination c