Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-11-13
Characteristic Trait Or Mr..
EE ntsafnr

IA Characteristic Trait Or Mr..
webster.
MIR. Webster was never seen To more
advantage than within his own household
Mt The family board, OF In strolling with
him over his farm, at Marshneid, or stand
Ing with him utsofl the seasbeael, and look.
ing ont upon tile oeeaii before us, which
like the scope Of Ills intellectual vision,
appeared toundIess. We iiave enjoyed
these things, aud there IRE no events III
our life IN which we lave experienced
more pleasures AZ we write. they invel
unfairly rise before lis, like blessed visions
Of other mud better days. To hear Him
converse upon the past, the l~tesuut, the
future, In il familiar, ~eoloatiaI iiiatinsr t6
listen TO his great thoughts, expressed IN
The pttrest words Of our laughage. atd
wonder how he cotild thus speak aud tiinls
IRE Joys Which we can find 40 words te
express.
II was our fortune TO pass several days
at his home in Marshleld, soma six OF
eight years ago, and wull we remember
one beautiful night, when the heavens
Seemed to be studded with countless lnyr.
lads Of stars, that, about nine o'clock III
the evening, we walked ont, aud he stood
beneatl, the beautiful weeping elm which
raises It's majestic form within n few PAGES
Of his dwelling, and, looking up through
the lealy branches. be appeared for sever.
nj minutes to be wrapped In deep thought
and at length, as If the scstle. 50 soft and
beautiful, had suggested the lines, he quo.
ted certain verses Of the eighth Psalm,
beginning with tile words. "Wilen | oon-
slider thy heavens, the work Of thy fin.
gers the moon aud the stars which tttot,
hast ordained what Is man. that thou art
mindful Of him 7 and the son OF man, that
thou ~visitest him I For thou hast made
bin n little lower than the angels, and
has crowned him with glory aud honor
go.
The deep low tone IN which he repeated
these inspired words, and the deep rapt
attention will, which he gazed up through
the branches of the elm. struck lis with a
feeling OF gfeatet awe and solemnity than
we ever felt, wlie,l in n year or two later
we visited sone Of the old magnificent ca.
thedrals Of the old world, venerable with
the ivy Of centuries, and mellowed with
the glorfes Of a daily church service for u
thousand years. lilo wis thinking then
Of that far distant world, wherein 1t ID
promised that the good of this life shall
live forever and ever. We remained out
beneath the tree for over an hour, mud all
the time he eonversed about the scriptures
Which nc, man has studied with greater Mt.
%tentio1, aud Of which no man whom we
ever saw knew SO much, or appeared to
understand and appreciate 90 we'll
lie talked Of tho | oots Of the Old Tes.
lament especially, aud dwelt with una(.
feetel pleasure upon Isaiah, the Psalms,
end especially the book Of Job. The BOOK
Of Job, he said, taken US a mere work Of
literary genius. was one Of the most won.
derful productions Of any age or Of any
language. As an epic poem, he deemed
it fur superior TO either the Hind or the
Odyssey. The two last, he said, received
much Of their attraction from the mere mar.
ration of warlike deeds, and from the per.
ilous escapes OF the chief p%ersonages from
death and slaughter but the Book Of Job
was Il purely intellectual narrative. tts
power was shown ia the dialogues OF the
characters introduced. The. story was
simple In its construction, and there was
little in it to excite the imagination or
arouse the sympathy. 1t was purely ali
intellectual production, and depended upon
the power Of the dialogue, and not upon
the interest Of tile story, to produce It's
effects. This, was considering il merely
"a an intellectual work. lie read it
through very often, aud always with re.
newed delight. III his Judgment it was
The greatest epic ever written.
we well remember liis quotation Of
some Of The verses III tie tliirty.eigll,h
"Tllen the Lord answered Job
out Of the wlliflwind, aud said, Who is this
that darlseneth counsel by words without
knowledge! Grid up now thy loins like
n mal4 for / will demand of thee. aud an.
swer thou me. Where vast tliou when
! laid the foundations Of the EARTH I? De-
if tflou hast understanding" &c.
Mr.. Webster was a fine reader, and his
recitation Of particular passages to which
he felt warm were never surpassed, and
were capable of giving the most exquisite
to those who could appreciate
Llem,-Boskon atlas.