deep snow and drifts.

[keannu]

Sometimes I went to the old school house up the road, sometimes to the one in an opposite direction. The latter was larger, and there was generally a better teacher, but it was much farther, and I had to set off early in the cold frosty mornings with my books and dinner basket, often through deep snow and drifts. At night I had to get home in time to help to feed the cattle and get in the wood for the fires. The schoolhouses then were generally small and uncomfortable, and the teachers were often of a very inferior order.
The school system of Canada, which has since been moulded by the skilful hand of Dr. Ryerson into one of the best in the world, and which will give to his industry and genius a more enduring record than stone or brass, was in my day very imperfect indeed. It was, perhaps, up with the times. But when the advantages, which the youth of this country now possess, are compared with the small facilities we had of picking up a little knowledge, it seems almost a marvel that we learned anything.
Spelling matches came at this time into vogue, and were continued for several years. They occasioned a friendly rivalry between schools, and were productive of good. The meetings took place during the long winter nights, either weekly or fortnightly. Every school had one or more prize spellers, and these were selected to lead the match; or if the school was large, a contest between the girls and boys came off first.

1. What does "drifts" here mean? Doesn't it overlap with "deep snow"?
2. Does "get in the wood" mean "to get firewood" or "to get in a forest to get firewood"?
3. Does "inferior order" mean "the teachers were a low class"? Does "order" mean "class"?
4. Whey does the writer say "It(the school system) was, perhaps, up with the times" when she said it was very imperfect? The two seem contradictory.

 

[teechar]

Google "snow drifts".

 

[keannu]

It's "snow and drifts", which I couldn't find by googling.

 

[teechar]

It means through deep snow, and through snow drifts.

 

[GoesStation]

2. Does "get in the wood" mean "to get firewood":tick: or "to get in a forest to get firewood":cross:?
3. Does "inferior order" mean "the teachers were a low class"? Does "order" mean "class"?
4. Whey does the writer say "It(the school system) was, perhaps, up with the times" when she said it was very imperfect? The two seem contradictory.

3. It means they weren't among the best; they were members of the group of not-very-good teachers.
4. The school was as good as most schools of its time and place, but they weren't very good.

 

[keannu]

which does "get in the wood for the fires" mean? Actually, I don't get the meaning of "get in".
1. get the firewood into the house
2. buy or get the firewood outside
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2. Does "get in the wood" mean "to get firewood":tick: or "to get in a forest to get firewood":cross:?

 

[SoothingDave]

Bring into the house a sufficient quantity of wood for the day's use. People would have woodpiles, a stock of pre-cut wood, outside. A daily chore would be to bring in enough wood for the family to use for heating, cooking, etc. There could be numerous fireplaces or wood stoves in a house.

 

[keannu]

"deep snow" and (snow) drifts seem to mean the same thing, so is it an emphasis or redundant expression or are the two slightly different?
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often through deep snow and drifts.

 

[SoothingDave]

Do you understand what a drift is? You might have one foot of snow, but it could blow into drifts of several feet.

 

[GoesStation]

In a windy, mostly flat area, large drifts can form from even a few inches of snow.

 

[Tarheel]

Two things. One, after talkng about walking through deep snow, the writer adds and drifts for no apparent purpose. Two, the relevant phrase is the wood for the fires. He was supposed to get the wood for the fires (probably from the woodpile). They probably had a wood stove and a fireplace.