The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-01-28
Daniel Webster.

tiiiuNh AhShNuitI uun thC
CATION Of the teacher to his profession,
delivered on the third day Of September
last, the following interesting incidents
in the early life Of Mr.. Webster appear,
and will be read with great pleasure by
all
To perform any intellectual labor |
well, the student must be wholly ABB
sorbed in his favorite pursuits. The
history Of every distinguished man in
our country, may be cited in proof of
this assertion. happen to have some
well authenticated facts respecting the
early life of the most iIustiious of our
American statesmen. They present him
before us as student aud teacher. ]
trust they will not be deemed inappro-
pirate to the present occasion. Mr..
Webster remarked in one of his recent
speeches, My life has been one of Sc,
we're labor in my profession. | know
not how the bread Of ideness tastes.'--
This is literally true. From the day
when he entered Exeter Academy, at
the age of fourteen, 10 this hour, his
life has been one uninterrupted scene of
mental toll Aged men, who were ia
miliar with his early life, mention, a.
mong their earliest recollections of his
childhood, fondness for books above
his years. His father kept open doors
for all travellers. The teamsters, who
came from the North, were accustomed
to say, when they arrived at Judge Web
ster's house. Come, let us give our
horses some oats and 90 in and hear lit
tie Dan read Psalm. They always
called for him. and leaning upon their
long whip stocks, listened with delighted
attention, to the elocuiion OF the young
orator. This fondness for books first
prompted his father to give him a bet-
ter education than the district school af-
forded At Exeter he had no peer in
successful and accurate study. Ills res.
ldence there was brief. The limited
means Of his father would not warrant
the expense Of continued residence al
that Academy. A cheaper method Of
preparing him for College was devised
He was placed under the care Of Rev.
Samuel Wood, of Boscawen, who re-
ceIved pupils into his family on very
moderate terms. On entering tins fam
lily, his father revealed to him his inten.
ton of sending him to College. The
announcement was received with I'M.
sui ever received with greater Joy SEN
aiorial decree for triumph Under
DR.. Woods tuition, with but an imper-
feet knowledge Of the rudiments of the
| Latin tongue, he read one hundred
verses of Virgil at a lesson. lie not
only read, but Interpreted the poet. lie
understood aud relished his polished die
,iun. The English dress which the
young student put upon the old Roman,
became him His recreations then were
the same which have occupied his leis-
ure hours in later life. In his rambles
among the neighboring woods, his rifle
was his constant companion:
--'linoque so'ebat cthamo
Decipcrc cl caIr mo salicntes duces pisces
His kind mentor once yeniured to
suggest his fears lest young Daniels ex-
ample, 10 devoting so much of his time
TO his lavorite amnsements, might prove
injurious to the other boys He did not
complain that his task was neglected, or
that any lesson was imperlecily pre-
pared. This suggestion was sufficient.
The sensitive boy could not bear the
suspicion of any direlicIIon of duIy.
The next night was devoted to study.
No sleep visited his eyes. His teacher
appeared in the morning TO hear his rec
itation. He read his hundred lines
without mistake. lie was nowhere
found tripping in syntax or prosody. As
his teacher was preparing To leave. Young
Daniel requested him to hear few more
lines. Another hundred was read
Breakfast was repeatedly announced.
The poor doctor was impatient to go,
and asked his pupil how much farther he
could read. To the end of the twelfth
book Of the 4Eneid, was the prompt re-
ply. The Doctor never had occasion to
reprove him again. His study hours,
ever alier, were sacred. In less than a
year, he read with his teacher, Virgil
aud Cicero, and in private, two large
works of Grotius and Pnfendori, written
in Latin. During the month of July.
his father called him home TO assist him
on The farm. At this time of life, young
Daniel had bnt slender fame aud was
not able to endure much fatigue, The
lriul OF single half day brought the
boy home with blisiered hands and wear.
led limbs. The next morning his father
gave him his liille bundle of books aud
bade him seek his old teacher again.
DE- Wnnh mel him with a rnrdinl nrnei.