Through Forest and Fire

Growing up on a small farm in western Pennsylvania, Nicholas Ribsam learns to meet difficulties with practical effort and faith. His Dutch parents teach him that perseverance belongs alongside prayer. At six, the cheerful boy starts country school, where his clothes and accent attract teasing. Herbert Watrous, an older pupil from the city, turns that teasing into bullying, testing the patience Nick has shown since infancy.

Edward Sylvester Ellis combines this account of childhood with woodland adventure in a novel for young readers. The story's concerns include siblings, Christian conduct and forest fires, while a scene in the moonlit woods shows Herbert struggling to judge what he sees and hears. Hunting, fear and country life give the lessons in courage a physical setting. Readers interested in older children's fiction can find both a picture of rural schooling and a story that links resourcefulness with the family's religious beliefs.