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

CHAPTER X
THE GREEN TREE TAVERN
IHE Green Tree Tavern had such a part In the
life of the elder brother of our family that I
feel it deserves a chapter by itself. It has
interest also as an example of the old-time
tavern at the crossroads.
We all felt that it was a matter for regret
that in William's senior year he had dropped
out of college of his own free will. This act may have been
occasioned by a desire to begin the activities of a profession he
had been planning to follow for years — that of teaching.
Although father was in close circumstances, he was anxious,
as were we all, that William should finish his course. True,
his scholarly attainments were equal to the best in his class
and in time brought the reward they so justly merited, for he
was granted the degree of Master of Arts by Farmer's College
in after years. On coming home, he had his text-books and
was busy every spare moment from the farm work in the most
dihgent study to prepare himself for teaching. During his
college life he had neglected the common branches, but being
a good student he was soon ready for the teacher's examination,
and passed triumphantly.
Now, the next thing was to procure a school. At a place
some twenty miles north of us was a small village called Clio,
now Ferry, where there was a church to which father ministered
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