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so that they could practice reading the print.

More than anything I do remember one specific piece of paper that we had in school. I had to read it quite often and it went a little like this;

"When I am an old and weak man who no longer sees himself able to work and run his own farm, parcel #6 in Vallebo, I hereby, in the most humblest manner, seek out Count Holk Winterfeldt of Rosendal for his permission for me to transfere my farm over to my son Hemming Jørgensen. 

Dated circa 1820

Jørgen Hemmingsen

It should be said that back then it was of no use to post such public notices because there were only a few people around who were able to read from a book. It was therefore necessary for the county commissioners to come out every Sunday, stand by the church when the sermon ended and as they were filing out he'd read them the news. 

When Hans Jørgen was 14 years of age he was confirmed which was the custom back then. Immediately following that day he got a job and started earning a wage working for his aunt Karen, in whose services he remained for two more years. Meanwhile I also got confirmed and he chose to return home as I now was the one to venture out. 

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In the meantime we had gotten a new priest, or should I say an old used up deacon. He got the idea stuck in his head that he didn't want to confirm someone who hadn't turned 14 yet. Since confirmation time traditionally fell on the first Sunday after Easter, which in turn tended to be in either late April or early May and because my birthday was on the 3rd of June I ended up being almost 15 years old before I got confirmed. 

My outfit that day consisted of a new black silk hat as well as a black homespun shirt and pants that had belonged to Hans Jørgen, and which he had earned through his work for aunt Karen. I had to return them as soon as I was done. During the ceremony we were a total of 30 boys and approximately the same amount of girls. I was number four in line and I was confirmed by Father Neergaard in the church in Faxe at the end of April in the year 1851.