The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-04-28
WI i 5 cell "a III cOsss.
THE LEARNED BLACKSMITH

with fty different languages, while engaged in
the laborious prosecution of his bushes, has
excited.a wide and general interest Tha, in.
terest will be heightened by the know ledge that
he is yet but t,oeny. sever, years old, had hut n
very ordinary common school education: and
has from boyhood to this moment constantly
pursued his arduous atng He Is naturally
embarrassed and panied by the notoriety which
his requirements have given him; and would
prefer to pursue the noiseless tenor OF his way I'm.
nonced and unknown; but his history is so full
OIL encouragement to the young men, and espe-
ci"'iy the laborlng men of our country, that it
must not be withheld from the public. What a
lesson does il read to those who spend hours
after hours in the har.room and the grop.shon
nut hare no Time TO learn any thing, and who Of
Ten stop their only paper during the busiest part
OF the year, because they have no time to read
il
The following private letter from MIR Burrtt.
the blacksmith SO honorably known, was drawn
out by Virginia gentleman who last summer
sought and made his acquaintance over his an.
vii In Worcester. Its modosly and cIearness
are worthy of his requirements and worth. We
hnd 1t In the last Southern Literary Messenger
Worcesler, Dec. Is, 1889.
DEAR SIR:-i sit down to write TO You under
a lively apprehension that you will accent of no
apology that can make for my long silence.
But before you impute to me Indifference or
neglect, beg you my dear sir, to consider the
Pecuiiar nature OF my occupations, to reflec.
that my time is not at my DISPOSAL and tina, nv
leisure moments are such as | can steal away
from the hours which my arduous manual Ia.
bors would incline me to allow TO repose
deferred writing some time, thinking 20 adj
dress you letter on your return from the
springs; but the nature of my business became
such IN the fall, tina! was compelled to labor
both night and day up TO the present time.
which is the first leisure hour that | have had
for several months. 1 cannot but be gratefully
affected by the benevolent interest which y0n
manifested in my pursuits, both in our Interview
in Worcester, and in the letter for which / am
indebted 10 your courtesy and kind considea.
ton. l thank you most cordially for those ex.
pressions OF good will. They are peculiarly graf
ifying,-coming as they do from one whose per-
sonal acquaintance l have not long had the
means and pleasure of enjoying; a fact which
proves, fenr, that 1 have been thurst before
the world very lmmaturely. SAn accidentaI aIIu.
sion TO my history aud pursuits, which made un
Il inkingly in letter to friend, was, to my
unspeakable surprise. brought before the pub lie
AS rather ostentatious debut on my part to the
world: and find myself involved in species of
notoriety not at all in consonance with my feel
ings. Those who have been acquainted with
my character from my youth up will give me
credit for sincerity, when. / say, that it never en-
tered my heart to blnzon forth any acquisition of
my own. ! had, until the unfortunate denoue.
ment which have mentioned, pursued the even
tenor of my way unnoticed, even among my
brethren and Kindred. None of them ever
thought that had any part leu lar genius, as it is
called; never thought SO myself All that l
have accomplished, or expect or hope to ac-
r. bnSh bal Inv lint MI
patient, persevering process of accretion which
builds the ante heap,-partice by particle,
thought by thought, fact by fact. Aud if ever l
was actuated by ambition, its highest and farther
est aspirations reached no farther than tho hope
to set before the young men of my country an
example in employing those invaluable frag-
rnents of time called 'odd moments.' And, sir, |
/ should esteem it an honor of cos,Ier ,pater
than the tiara encircng a monarchs brow, If
my future activity and attanments should en-.
courage American ,0orking men to be proud and
Jealous of the credentials Which God has given
them to every euinence and immunity in the
empire OF mind. These are the views and sen.
timents with which have sat down, night by
night for years, with blstered hands and bright.
ening hopes, TO studies which hoped might he
10 that class Of community to which
am proud to belong. This is my ambi ton
This is tine goal of my aspirations. But, not on
ly the prize, but the whole course lies before IN e
perhaps beyond my reach. Il count myself not
yet to have attained to any thing worthy of
public notice or private mention: what may do
is for providence to determine.
As you expressed desire in your letter for
some account of my past and present pursuits,
shall hope to crafty you on this point, and also
rcctfy a misrepresentation which you with tnnny
others may have entertained Of my acquire.
ments. With regard TO my attention to langua.
ges, Ia study of which am not so fond as math.
ematics,) have tried, by kind of prac tlcal
and philosophical process TO contract such ia
miIur acquaintance with the head ola family of
languages as to introduce me TO the other MEM
beers of the same family. Thus, studying the
Hebrew very critically, l became readily ac'
principle of which are the Syrac, Chaidalc, Ar
able, Samaritan, Elhiopic, Sc The languages
of Europe occupied my attention immediately
after had finished my classics; and studied
French, Spanish, Italian, and German, under
native teachers. Afterwards, pursued the Por
mguese, Flemish, Danish, Swedish, Norwegr
an, Iceandic, Welsh, Gaelic. Celtic, then
yan,nred "a, G,r,lar eost in,o the Russian EN-