was accepted. Having preached once, the people demanded that he should preach again; and he did. It was the common opinion that “he would become the most renowned preacher in the Disciples’ Church,” no one doubting that he was expecting to fill the sacred office.

James became acquainted with several of the teachers and school committee at Troy, and when he was there one day, Rev. Mr. Brooks, one of the committee, surprised him by saying:

“We have a vacancy in the high-school, and I would like to have you take the situation. It is an easy place, and a good salary of twelve hundred dollars.”

“You want me to begin now, I suppose?”

“Yes; next week the term begins.”

“I should be obliged to relinquish the idea of graduating at Williams.”

“That would be necessary, of course; and perhaps that may be best for you.”

“No; it seems best for me to graduate, at any rate; that has been my strong desire for several years, and to abandon the purpose now, when I am just on the eve of realizing my hopes, would be very unwise.”

“You understand your own business best,” commanded Mr. Brooks; “but we should be very glad to employ you, and only wish that you could see it for your interest to accept our proposition.”

“There is another difficulty in the way,” James replied. “I feel under some obligations to Hiram Institute, where I prepared for college. There was no bargain with me, and yet the trustees expect me to return, and take a position as teacher. That is a young institution, struggling to live, and I have a desire to give my small influence to it.”

“You need not decide to-day; think of it longer; you may view the matter differently after a little thought,” Mr. Brooks urged.

“No; I may just as well decide now. Your offer is a tempting one; I could soon pay my debts on that salary. I cannot expect any such salary at Hiram, and I thank you with all my heart for the offer. But my ambition has been to win an honourable diploma at an Eastern college, and then devote my energies to the institute that has done so much for me. I must decline your alluring offer.”

James arrived at this decision quickly, because accepting the offer would interfere with the accomplishment of the great purpose of his life. He had no difficulty, at any time, in rejecting any proposition that came between him and a collegiate education.

His refusal of the tempting offer was the more remarkable because he was in straitened circumstances at the time. His brother, who had promised to loan him money, had become embarrassed, so that further aid from that quarter was out of the question. He needed a new suit of clothes very much, but he had not the money to purchase them. One of his friends in Poestenkill, knowing this, went to a tailor of his acquaintance in Troy, Mr. P. S. Haskell, and said:

“We have a young man in our village, a rare fellow, who is poor, but honest, and he wants a suit of clothes. He is struggling to go through Williams College, and finds it hard sleddin’. Can you do anything for him?”

“Yes; I am willing to help such a young man to a suit of clothes. I will let him have a suit of clothes on credit,” the tailor replied promptly.

“You will get every cent of your pay in time, I’m sure of that. The young man preaches some now, and he preaches grandly.”