Washington telegraph., 1852-04-21
Daniel Webster's Childhood.

Children are very apt 10 IOfSet TWO tnlnSS.
They are apt to forget that all great men
were once children, and that while they
themselves are young they are laying toun-
da.ions for the ra:ure 1t is exceedingly
interesting to look back upon the history OF
such man as Daniel Webster and see
what he was about-what he was thinking
of, what he was doing, how he was occupy
inc his time-when he was school-boy.
Now, boys, am going to tell you little OF
Websters history when he went to his
erammar-school The history is entertain
ing enough in itselt, considering to what
heiclt this statesman has risen since then.
But | don't recite it to you simply on that
account | am anxious that you should see
how early one enters the path Of greatness.
Why, my dear fellow, before Daniel was
as old as you are, he had found the way
into t..at path, and had actually commenced
his march
"But don't see what the Latin gram
mar, and Virgil, and Sallusts, can have to
do with being great man, you say, or
think, which amounts to about the same
thing.
You don't, eh? Well, just listen a mo-
ment, and perhaps you will get some light
on this subject. At any rate, you will see
by the following, which have just picked
up, how the greatest statesman In America
began his career of greatness.
The first time that Mr.. Webster's eyes
fell upon the Constitution OF the United
States. of which he is now universally ac-
knowledsed to be the clief ecpo~ntIer oud
defender, it was printed upon cotton peck
ct handkerchief, according to fashion OF
the time, which he chanced to stumble upon
in country store, and for which he paid,
out Of his own pocket all the money he had
--twenty-fv cents; and the evening OF the
day on which he thus obtained copy was
wholly devoted to its close and attentive
parusal. while seated before a blazing lire,
and bv the side of his father and mother.
WHAT dreamer on that night, in the widest
Aiehts OF his inauguration, could have seen
the result of that incident, or marked out
the future career Of that New Hampshire
boy9
When Mr.. Webster was about seven
years old, his father kept house of enter
tainment, where the teamsters, who Travelled
on the road, were in the habit of obtaining
dinner and feeding their horses; and it is
said that the incipient orator and statesman
frequently entertained his fathers guests by
reading aloud out of the Psalms OF David,
to the infinite delight of his rustic listeners
Indeed, it was customary for the teamsterS
to remark, as they pulled up their horses be-
fore the Webster House, '' Come let's go In
and hear Psalm from Dan.'
A few days after Mr.. Webster had enter,
ed Exeter Academy, he returned to his
boarding house one evening, in very des
pondine mood, and told his friends there
that the CITY boys in the academy were con
stantly laughing at him because he was a
the foot of his class, and had come from the
backwoods. His friends endeavored t.
cheer him, by explaining the regulations
the school, and telling him that the boy
would soon get tired of their unhandsom
conduct, and that he ought to show hlmSel
above their foolishness. Mr.. Nicholas En-
cry, was then an assistant tutor IN the acad
emy, was also made acquainted with youn;
Webster's troubles and as he had the man
agement of the second and lower class, h'
treated his desponding pupil with marke(
kindness, and particularly urged him t.
think of nothing but his books, and that al
would yet come out bright. This advic
was needed, and at the end Of the first quar-
ter, Mr. Emery mustered his class in a line
and formally taking the arm Of young Web
ster, marched him along from the foo
to the extreme head of the class, ex
claiming in the mean while, that this Wa
his proper position Such an event had 70
many days been anticipated, but when actu
ally accomplished, the remainder of tn
class were surprised and chagrined.
This triumph greatly encouraged the DO,