But why did I not have a full school all the while? The assigned reasons were various. Many did not know whether I was Baptist, Methodist, or something else; and so sectarianism kept some away; some parents said their children were just out of school, and their minds needed rest—these, and many excuses less plausible, were rendered for non-attendance. After my school was pretty well established and my scholars were somewhat classified, one other fact became apparent, and this was, and is, indeed, a sad fact, viz.: in the acquisition of knowledge, the teacher is considered one distinct party, the parent another, and the child another. Sad fact that, in the pleasant and most beneficial work, teacher, parent, and scholar are not one. When Christmas-day came, most of my patrons said: “It is Christmas, and there should be no school for one week;” and, indeed, I had but little. A short time ago a circus drifted down this way. “Of course,” said many of my patrons, “the children must go to the circus, and omit going to school until the circus is over with”; and they went. But all shade, says the photographer, makes no picture; and so I will show the lights, and thus complete my picture. Many of my pupils, who were once, apparently, ignorant of what punctuality was, have learned to be punctual. Those who once thought it best to be disorderly, disrespectful, disobedient, careless, idle, and the like, now think it their duty to act differently; and so a much better state of things exists than formerly. Some months ago, when I would ask a reason for working an example in a certain way, the answer invariably was, “because”; and if I asked “because what?” the reply would be lengthened, thus: “because that gets the answer.” But now my pupils can not only work their examples, but tell why.