Winter came. Now Daniel could see to the work; but these habits of study
were not to be broken. "Boys, let us form a history club," was the
proposition; "it shan't interfere with your lessons at school." They
took the history of the United States, which the two younger children
were studying. Beginning with the New England settlements, and being six
in number, they called each other, for the time, after the six States,
persuading old Daniel to take his native Rhode Island. "That woman beats
all creation," he was heard to exclaim, "the way she works all day and
goes on at night over her books." The mother used to say she hardy knew
if she were any older than her boys when they were trying to trip each
other with questions. The teacher of the district school came over one
Saturday afternoon. "I never had such pupils," said he, "as your sons,
in history; and indeed they want to look into every thing." Afterward he
heard with delight the story of their evening's work. The deep snows
often shut them in, but the red light shone clearly and bright from that
sitting-room window, and a merry group were gathered around the table.
Every two weeks an evening was given to some journey. It was laid out in
advance, and faithfully studied. Once, Theodore remembers, a shout of
laughter was raised when nine o'clock came by Jerry's exclamation, "O,
mother, don't go home now; we are all having such a good time!" Five
years they lived in this way, and almost entirely by themselves.
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