Mother had the proceedings stayed, the executors dismissed, and took out letters of administration, which made it necessary for her to spend some portion of every month in the city.
This threw the entire charge of house and store on me.

As soon, therefore, as possible, she sent me to the city to school, where I realized my aspiration of studying ancient history and the piano, and devoured the contents of the text-book of natural philosophy with an avidity I had never known for a novel.
In April, 1830, I began to teach school, the only one in Wilkinsburg, and had plenty of pupils, young men and women, boys and girls, at two dollars and one dollar and a half a term.

Taught seven hours a day, and Saturday forenoon, which was devoted to Bible reading and catechism.

I was the first, I believe, in Allegheny Co., to teach children without beating them.

I abolished corporeal punishment entirely, and was so successful that boys, ungovernable at home, were altogether tractable.
This life was perfectly congenial, and I followed it for nearly six years.