bebe boswell
my early education consisted of the three r’s learned at home with my father as teacher, and a half-dozen two-month terms in the public school. there being no high school nearer than twenty-five miles, father kept me on the farm about three years after this and then sent me to a preparatory school for two years. these two years fixed my moral and religious ideas and gave me a great faith in the possibilities and rewards of human effort. after this he sent me to a private school in the west for one year, and the following summer to the north texas state normal. during this year, especially, my desire to be self-sustaining had grown to be very strong, and it led me to obtain a six-year first grade certificate to teach in that state.
scarcely had my certificate been issued when a call came to return and take charge of a private rural school. the call was accepted, and school opened immediately upon my return. during this year i made up my mind to attend peabody college and secure a life certificate good in a number of southern states instead of returning to texas for a permanent 209 certificate. all i needed to carry out this plan was the money. father had helped me until i was able to help myself. i was not willing longer to spend his money. there was only one thing left me to do, and that was to enter the world’s workshop.
the next two years found me very busy, on the farm, in the log woods, and teaching rural schools. these two years rewarded me with enough money to pay my expenses during the two-year normal course i had planned. my application for entrance showed i had almost enough credit for college, and my plan was immediately changed from a two-year to a four-year course.
having only two years provided for, i felt the need of doing outside work, but with a little entrance requirement to make up i found only enough spare time to work in a grocery store on saturdays to pay my room rent. when the next year came the duties of business manager of the student monthly magazine, which left me no time to earn anything. success in this enterprise, however, opened up greater opportunities the following year. the faculty committee made me joint manager of the college book-store. this work paid me enough for board and room. to provide for my other expenses i joined a crew of college men who were going to virginia to sell books for a local publishing house. besides furnishing the necessary means this work gave me a most valuable experience, and an 210 opportunity to travel about twenty-six hundred miles, visit a large number of cities and see ten states.
every expense of my junior year was now provided for, but this did not satisfy me. my eyes had been opened to see another opportunity. during this year in addition to my work in the classroom, in the book-store, and in the literary society, i found time to edit both the student monthly magazine and the college annual. besides this i would use spare moments in taking orders for class pins, graduation invitations, and in soliciting business for a clothing house and a local jewelry establishment. i also joined my room-mate in organizing and conducting the annual thanksgiving party to mammoth cave. these various sources yielded me half enough for my expenses the next year, my senior year.
but before my junior year had closed came the radical announcement that peabody college would be discontinued for reorganization and rebuilding. this left me at sea, with insufficient means for a whole year and the disadvantage of selecting a new college. i decided to finish in one of the larger universities at a greater expense. this was met by another contract with the same publishing house. this contract was for six months and netted me above all expenses over one thousand dollars. then i entered the university of chicago, where i could pursue my work during the winter and continue with the publishing company during the vacation, helping not only myself, but many other ambitious 211 young men secure the means for an education, and a practical experience that will serve them to advantage all their lives.
wildersville, tenn.
