390 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS could along the road to manhood^ and finding it sometimes a difficult and bewildering path, found in one teacher an appre- ciative friend. Mr, Lee 0. Harris, a teacher for many years^ was of a type none too conmion in the educational field at any time. He was a man of fine quality, with a love for literature and a poetic ability of his own that no doubt made him the quicker to discover signs of intellectual promise in others. At all events, he was discerning enough to see that young Biley could not be pressed into the same mold into which his companions fitted, and was wise enough to allow him much latitude in his school pursuits. He proved to be ** guide, philosopher and friend ' ' to the lad and in later years a valued companion. Biley no doubt gained much inspiration from him. But after all it matters comparatively little to impressible, intelligent youth what schools teach if home influences are of an intellectual sort. Mr. Biley was reared in a reading fam- ily ; his father had good books about and his son James Whit- comb read them. Another educational influence was the village newspaper office, whose fascinations were early discovered and about which he loved to linger. A country newspaper is an excellent school and it was perhaps in the dingy office that his first lit- erary ambition was born. Though he developed a writing and rhyming knack early, he was, after all, slow in * ' finding himself. * ' Perhaps he did not even dream of writing rhymes as a serious and remunera- tive occupation — a life work. He was expected to settle down like other young men to a regular calling, but the rou- tine of office or shop was not for him and he made various ventures in other directions — a trip with a company of stroll- ing players, another with a traveling doctor for whom he painted signs and advertisements, and a tour as a sign painter with a partner or two being the chief undertakings. One reason for these wanderings was the verdict of the fam- ily doctor that he ought to be out of doors a good deal because of his poor health. He had tried reading law with his father, but the undertaking soon came to an end. He had a distinct
