The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1837-08-25
From the American Ladies Magazine.
THE FIRST NEED OF FAME.


THE FIRST NEED OF FAME.
81 was a dull boy" says Judge b.
in answer 10 some remarks Of Mrs.
Wentworth, . and nv mother began my
education very early; vas her only
child and she widow, inv father dying
before | was born,) therefore you may .
easily imagine hoa eager she must have |
been for nv improvement. She iied J
every means which love, faith and pru- ;
dence could suggest, TO instruct me IN my
lessons and INV duties. In the latter
she was not disappointed. ! may say
without boasllng. iha, l was an obedissi
boy, Tor loved my mother 50 well that
/, VAS pleasure 10 do her bidding. But
I could not learn my hook; the founIa'a
of knowledge was. TO my taste. bitter VA
tiers. and all the devices which ingenuity
has invented 10 make learning easy fall
ed in my case: ! had tn wear the Ounce
cap at school. and so sluggish was my
mind. that / did not care d straw for the
disgrace. I'LL | found it made my mother
weep when she heard II. Indeed pre-
ferred 10 be at the foot Ut nv class, for
then had 10 trouble abnut trying 10
keep nv station, aud even al the opening
Of the school always took my place al
the fpol, il seemed so natural TO me; i
was a. cunlented as Dingeres IN his tub.
Thus the time passed, till the winter
I entered my tenth year. The SCHOOL,
master was preparing for a famous exhI-
blnoa; and as he knew how snlielious
nv mo'her was for my Improvement,
he called on her to ascertain II she
thought possible tina! could take Psri.
She did think il possible. what mother
wnnld despair Of her only child she
undertook 10 leach me the piece was 10
sneak. fhe teacher had selected that
pilhy l,lle poem 50 Appropriate Tor the
young lyro, beginning
"Y"u d searce expect oue Of my age
TO speak in public % the isge;
An IL chance TO isll below
De,arsthenese, or Cicero.
Don't view me with critic eye,
Bus pass my imperfa tions by." SC
Those six lines were my first lesson.
and after tea, nv mother sal down 20 the
task of teaching 1t. telling me thai mus,
learn 10 reci,e those SIX he. during ,hat
and the following evening. You smile
ladies, but it seemed Herculean task Id
m. and it was oHly nv strong affection
fur NV mother thai would induce me tu
have undertaken II. y he teacher had
promised. that if | spoke my piece vel
he would give me silver rmrdal. | car
ed nothing for that. Till nv mother drew
me 10 her, and as she put back my hail
and kissed nv forehead IN her lowing
mann.r. said 20, Robert. how happy
shai! be Ia see Nou come home with ths
medal on!'' thought then would r,
20 obtain 1t. So | sat down cheerfuIly Il
my task. #*
81 recollect the scene as though
were but Yesterday. Nv mother real
the SIX lines TO one several times over
aud then she explained the meaning o
the words. She then told me ri Demos
themes, and the efforts he made to over
come his natural defects. remembe
asking her If should get some pebbles I,
hold in my mouth, whether il would j,
me any good,-and how her laugh ran
out at nv witticism! Then she told IN
Of Cicero. and the great service he rem
dered the country bv his Oralory an
learning.--thus endeavouring to awake
nj mind TO some efforts Of imagination
liked to listen 10 stories, and a was i
this manner had been taught whs
litlr knew; for could not compreben
WORT: wanted images, and thus m
mother, by her manner, and the cumpari
sons she would draw from familiar things
could succeed 10 occurring 10 my Insgi
nation. In books ! found nothing bu
words, and those could moi remember
Blu am growing tedious. lear. as ths
eveni was to my mother and myself
F. tao long hours she patiently taugi
M. | read over he lines a hundre
tlt. a.. recited ait her---sometrms's
w.uld req two or three cnnseruuv
words: ant | could zee Ter lace brigt
tes VIII hnpe; hut rlen he took IN
bc.k r tn las rec tsIlon, aler la
be-ns dying mos Intenty for some m
nut could not repect a smgle word
- al r. eoiiect nHw Inv sensatIons 4
lhak,lme. |. seemed to me that kne'
n nv mo'her "'-hoo - =. >r'; M
ss,vasssr Of *sse - = sI0'
and ny lesson, aud mad