Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS i6i
ever held up to us as a master of English, the novels of Sir
Walter Scott, "Homes and Haunts of the British Poets," and
many other volumes which opened to us new realms of thought
and fancy. I think these books were my awakening to litera-
ture; certainly they formed a real part in our education.
Our father was a man of letters and had, for that period,
a fine library of theological works; but they were too solid for
our young minds, and there came into this deep and sober
selection of books a series we greatly enjoyed and shall never
forget. They became a part of my father's library in this
way: One evening when we were expecting father home from
a tour, as usual Brother Will climbed to the roof of the barn
to look off" over the country for a sight of the carriage and
horses — father's usual mode of conveyance if the journey were
not too long. Sure enough, the welcome sight greeted his
eyes, and soon we knew that he had brought us a store of delightful
reading. It seems that on this itinerary he had met
the celebrated Goodrich, known in that day as "Peter Parley,"
the great story-teller. He had just brought out a new edition
of his schoolbooks, and as father was always interested in
such matters, the author made him a present of the entire set
of his works, with the request that he examine them and,
should he find them worthy, review them favorably. Father
did afterward write for publication concerning these instructive
and entertaining books. "Peter Parley" certainly had a
happy way of interesting both young and old in our day.
This set of books contained school readers, from first to fifth;
also a small history of North and South America, supposedly
written by one "Dick, Bold Hero," who was fond of adventure
and had made an extensive journey through South America,
where he had many thrilling experiences with tornadoes and
earthquakes. After numerous hairbreadth escapes he returned
home and wrote this interesting account with the title "South
America, by Dick, Bold Hero." There was a delightful
volume of the "Natural History of Birds and Animals," with
fine illustrations and descriptions of their habits and the
countries where they are found; besides these books were two
large histories, one of ancient, the other of modern times. They