The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-08-16
l8OyhOOd Of'DistimgQlislnc IL
NHcRa.

Dryden displayed no evidence of
more than ordinary intelligence until
ne reached mature manhood johnson
says of Goldsmith, that he was verw
idle scholar, and much tonder of ball
and leap-trog than Of books. The
most interesting thing told of him as a
child by his biographer is, that once, in
the midst Of n storm of thunder and
lightning, he climbed tree, and when
asked by his parents why he did so,
replied, whispering, Iha. the lighting
- ,'4>"s' beautiful. nra csxishcd tn
see where it was coming fr.11 ."--This
story, if correct, furnishes us withan
illustration of the manner in which the
young mind delights to seek intorma.
ton for itscl!in its own way. Perhaps
y still more characteristic anccdote is
that told of Smeaton, the architect of
the Eddystone Lighthouse, who, when
boy in petticoats, was one day dis.
covered on the top of his fathers house,
i'll the act of fixing the model Ola wind.
mill, which he had constructed.
Bnt,the great majority ofthc most
distinguished mcn-especially those
distinguished for their power-have
been altogether undistingusl,cd intheir
boyhood. Sir Isaac Newton, perhaps
our greatest man, stood very low in
his class ut school though he was very
fond of mechanical pursuits, and of
drawing various natural objects. Sir
David Brewster says Of him, that
when he arrived ut Trinity College,
he brought with him more slender
portion Of science than falls to the lot
OF ordinary scholars but this state of
his requirements (coittihues his bios.
raphcr) was perhaps not unfavoraGle to
the development OF his mental powers.
uncxhaustcd by premature growth,
and inviyoratcd by lIealthtul repose,
his mind was the better fitted to make
those vigorous and rapid shoots whic!!.
covered with foliage and fruit the &c.
nial soil to which it had been tran ,fcr.
| red"
The distinguished Sir IIumphry Da.
Wy said OF himself: 81 consider it iortu.
nate that was left SO much to myself
when child, and put upon no partic-
ular plan of study and that en- joyed
so much idlcness at Coryton's school.
perhaps owe to these circumstances
the littlo talents that have, and their
peculiar application. What | am, |
have made myself: ! say this withou.
vanity, and in pure simplicity ofhcart.'
And it is so in fact. Every man who
achieves greatless does SO, not through
his requirements Under teachers when
II boy, but through his self education
after he has become man. 80"
We might adducc an immense nun.
Der ofinstanccs Of positively stupid
boys who have became distinguished
and highly useful men. For instance,
Isaac Barrows, the grent divine, was in
his boyhUod chiefly distinguished by
his propensity for fighting, in which he
got many IL bloody nose and his faith,
er used to say, that il i; pleased God
to take troln him any Of his children,
he hoped it night be Isaac, who was
the least promising of them all. And
that prodigy Of learning, DR.. Adam
Clark, when boy, was never happier
than when "rolling large stones about"
caring nothing for learning or reading
Of any sort. But Mt this kind of work
he became "mcommonly hardy
though his father proclaimed him to be
most "grevous Ounce" Thanks to
Adam Clark's power OF rolling about
the large stones, in his boylood, he
was afterwards able to roll about large
| thoughts in his manhood.
Napoleon and Wellington were both
dull boys. The former is described by