In composition, so-
called, I had had no experience. Once only during my school life was
an attempt made by a teacher to introduce the exercise of writing, and
that attempt I avoided. In Latin I had not gone beyond the study of
the grammar, and the training that I had received was from persons
poorly qualified to give instruction.
Once or twice the teacher had been a college undergraduate, and
Kilburn's knowledge of the language was measured by his acquisitions
at the Groton Academy. Of knowledge wholly useless to me I had learned
to read the Hebrew alphabet from Dr. Bard's elementary Hebrew book.
The reading-books, especially Scott's Lessons, contained extracts from
good writers and speakers, with selections from the best of English
poets, and these extracts and selections, I had read and had heard read
so often that I could repeat many of them at full length. Worcester's
Geography, and Whelpley's Compend of History were among the books used
in the schools.
[* The Pound Hill schoolhouse has been sold to the owner of the Captain
Parker place and converted into a shop and tool-house. A photograph
has been taken of the venerable relic.]
V
GROTON IN 1835
In the month of February, 1835, I read an advertisement in the Lowell
_Journal_, asking for a clerk in a store, application to be made at
the office.
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