Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-12-06

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of business. Not few of the boundary diff
culties must have been removed over the nuts
and wine by the distinguished participants in
that transaction. They evidently felt the high
est confidence in each others straight forward
ness and honor
The challenge received by Mr.. Webster from
John Randolph, while they were both members
of the National House of Representatives takes
up portion of the correspondence. In this af- |
fair, General Wool, of New York, acted as the
friend and adviser of Mr.. Webster, and Senator
Benton of the challenging party. The singu,
lar deception of Monroe Edwards, practised up
on Lord Spcncenis also told at length. 1t may
be remembered Chat, in l843, while this notori-
GUS individual was in England he presented to
Lord Spencer forged letter of introduction
from Mr.. Webster, and took advantage of the
clvllities extended to him on that account, to
borrow of that iiobleman the sum of three hum
dred pounds, having been foiled, as he. pretend
ed, in some negotiations he had lately underta.
ken. Shortly after, Lord Spencer, hearing some
thing which led him to suspect the true charac-
ter Of Edwards, wrote to Mr.. Webster, stating
the circumstance and his suspicious, but declar-
ing that he was nevertheless glad of the oppor-
tunity of thus showing his regard for Mr.. Web
ster and those who bore his recommendation.
To this Mr. Webster returned an answer, DENY
ing an acquaintance with Edwards, and expos
ing him as bad character; but in the mean.
time, the adroit forger had managed to pay up,
and, before, receiving the answer, Lord Spencer
wrote another letter, announcing that Edwards
had acted like an honorable man, and apologize
ing for ever having harbored suspicion against
Mr.. Webster friend
very pleasant part of the correspondence
are the letters of Mr.. Webster, written while a
law student, to his brother Ezekiel, who was
struggling to pay for his education by keeping
school in Boston. All the spare cash which
Daniel could earn by teaching or copying deeds
had been devoted to his brothers. college ex-
penses, but his income was too narrow to meet
them fully. Several of the letters relate to the
subject of devisng means for raising money 10
defray debt of fifty dollars, which Ezekiel had
incurred in the purchase of books in Boston.
This. caused the two brothers great perplexity
In one Of his epistles, Daniel, after trying to
cheer " Zeke " by an enumeration of the posi-
bilties which yet, remained for raising money,
4 enters upon the following strain of philosophic
consolation
DIS, SALISBURY, Nov. 4th, 1902.
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:" l have now by me two cents in lawful fed
eral currency. Next week will send them, if
athey be ALL They will buy pipe-with pipe
gByou can understanding implies wisdom-wis-
dom is allied to fortitude-pfroM fostitude it is
but one step to stoicism, and stoicism never
pants for this worlds goods. So, perhaps, my
two cents, by this process, may put you quite
at ease about cash.
Again, as late as June 10th, 1904, he writes
from Salisbury IN. H.), after having declined a
comfortable office in order to pursue his profes
''Zeke, l don't believe but what Providence
will do we'll for us yet. We shall live, and live
comfortably. have this, week come within ar
ace of being appointed clerk of the Court o.
Common Pleas for Hillsborough County. Well
you will say, you are no better off than if you
had not come within an ace. Perhaps | am
say nothing, but think good deal, and do no
distrust the GODS"
II conclusion of this letter to his brother, o
June 10th, he relieves his mind with the follow
ing verses;
"Fo di dol, dol di dol, d dol
III never make money my idol
With my friend and my pitcher,
I'm twenty times richer
, Than If made money my idol
Fol di DOL dol di dol, d dol"
1t may be remarked here that Mr.. Webster
in the midst of his family and with his chldre
and grandchildren around was not little Civ
en- to ofhand rhyming, and would greatly d
vert them by his extempore English heroics, i
which the sonorous march of the rymth woul
be humorously disproportioned to the triaing nf
Q ture of his theme
8 But the poets was not the only vocatio
h which the great statesman narrowly escaped
!. At one time in his youth, some of his frient
: earnestly pressed upon him the duty Of ente
: ing the Christian ministry, and he was wont
i tell, with evident enjoyment, tho story of h
3, being advised to assume the business of Necr
e NANCY! An old man, who enjoyed the reput
|, tion in his native village of being wizard, q
" sured young Daniel that he was "just made
If coniuror," and, as there was at that time
e. great many stray cattle to be found, the bu
C ness offered a good opening. He concluded
r offering to take the future statesman into pal
o. nership, and to 60 halves with him in the pr
of fits
While on the subject of Mr.. Webster his
i'll ry, cannot forbear mentioning an incident
8, lated of his courtship, which do not rememl
n to have seen recorded. He was then you
re- lawyer in Portsmouth, N H. At one of
n visits to Miss Grace Fletcher, he had, probal
,se with view of combining utility and enjoyme
use been holding skeins Of silk thread for her. VII
or, suddenly he stopped, saying, Grace, we h,
'se thus been engaged in untying knots let us
as if we can tie knot, one which will not un
In for lifetime" He then took piece of ia
> and, after beginning knot of peculiar XII
ice gave it to her to complete. This was the ce
zen mony and ratification of their engagement
in And now in little box, marked by him W
be the words Precious Documents" contain
les the letters of his early courtship, this unit
or memorial is still to be found. The knot
or never been united.
US, Perhaps the most interesting relic of
;ob Wehetpr which will ho incorporated in NJ