Matters went on quite smoothly under this plan between the Massachusetts Board and the National Board until the beginning of the year 1839, when the former fell into arrears in the payment of its instalments to the latter.

Money from one cause or another, was hard to get at by the Massachusetts Board, and the treasury in New York was in an extremely low state.

The relations between the two boards were, as we have seen, much strained and neither side was in the mood to cover with charity the shortcomings of the other.

Perhaps the board at New York was too exacting, perhaps the board at Boston was not sufficiently zealous, under the circumstances.

But what were the real irritating causes which kept the two boards at loggerheads over the matter need not here be determined.