The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-04-14

imam of DISTINGUISHED MEN-Dry den
,.DIa,ed no evidences of more than ordinary in
s"In,,snce until he reached mature manhood; and
Tab1son saws of Goldsmith, that he was I" a plant
H., lowered late." Schiller a very Idle schol-
W ". and much fondcr of ball and leaping than OF
Gooks, The most interesting thing told of him
- child by his biogra pher is, that once, in the
n,dst of a storm OF thunder and lightning, he
climbed tree, and when asked by his parents
rbv he did so, replied, whispering: " That the
To6tuing was very beautiful, and he wished to see
wbere il was coming FROM This story, if cor
rect. furnishes illustration Of the manner in
which the Young mind delights 10 seek nforma-
lion for itself in its way. Perhaps a still
more characteristic anecdo;e is that told of Smea-
ION, the architect of the Eddystone Lighthouse,
who, when a boy in petticoats, day dis
covered on the top of his fathers house, in the
act Of fixing the model of a wind mill, which he
had constructed.
But the great maj ory OF the most distinguished
men-especiaily OF those distinguished for their
power-have been altogether undistingushed in
their boyhood. Sir Isaac Newton, perhaps the
greatest man. stood very low in his class at school,
though he was fond of mechanical pursuits, and
Of drawing various natural objects. Sir David
Brewster saws OF him, that ''when he arrived at
Trinity College, ne brought with him more
slender portion Of science than falls the lot of
ordinary scholars Int this state OF his acquire
ments Continues his biographer) perhaps
not un:avorable TO the development Of his mental
powers. UueXhaused by premature growth, and
invigorated by healthlul reposP, his mind was the
better fitted TO make those vigorous and rapid
shoots which soon covered with foliage and fruIt
the genial soil to which ii had been transferred"
The distinguished Sir Humphrey Davy said o.
himself: | consider il fortunate that was left 81
much 10 myself when a child, and put upon no
rftc MAN nj StudV nd that | ppi 80
much idleness at Mr.. Coryton school. | per-
haps owe 10 these circumstances the little talents
that have, and their peculiar application. What
| am | have made myself. | say this without
vanity and in pure simplicity Of heart" And il
is so in fact Every who achieves greatness,
does so, not through requirements under teachers
when boy, but through his se!i-lducasion after
he has become Il man.
We might adduce an immense number OF in
stances OF positively stupid boys who have le-
come distinguished aud highly useful men. For
instance, Isaac Barrow, the great divine, was in
his boyhood chiefly Distinguished for his Propen-
sity for fighting, in which he got many bloody
nose and his father USED to saw that il i, pleased
God To take from him any Of his children, he
hoped it might be Isaac who was The least proni
sing Of lh"m all. And that prodigy of learning
Dr. Adm Clark, when BOY, never happier
than when "roug large stones about" caring
nothing for learning or reading of any sort. Blu
at this kind of work he became Z" uncommonIy
hardy" though his father proclaimed him to be
n most g grievouS Ounce" Thanks To Adam
Clark's power Of rolling about tie large stones
IN bis boyhond, he was afterwards able 20 r"l
about large thouIh in bis manhood.
Napoleon and Wellington were both dull boys
The former is described by the Duchess d Ahran
ties, who knew him intimately whcE child, a
80 having good health, and in other respects nc Wa:
like other boys. And she adds Ny uncles have
a thousand times assured me that Napoleon, il
his boy hood had none cf that sinsu!arily Of char
Hccr attributed TO him.