True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-07-16
cornNFr. rRRMONT.

pared Oy Ur. j.. nOOeItUh, auv PuonsnsN
Iby Lippincott and Co., Of Philadelphia,
in 1850. In the preface Of this work,
which is dated Philadelphia, August,
1850, DR., Robsrton, addressing himself
to the students for whose use his book
was designed, relates for their encourage
ment what he calls very remarkable IN.
stance ofpatient diligence and indom'ta,
BILE perseverance. We subjoin his mar
.atiye;
In the year 1897, after | had return
ed to. Charleston, S. G., f:som Scotland,
and my classes wero going on, d very
respectable lawyer came to my school, l
think some time in the month of October4
with a youth apparently about sixteen, or
perhaps not so much, Of middle size,
graceful in manners, rather slender, but
well formed, and, upon the whole, what
| would call handsome of a keen, pier
cling eye, and noble forehead seemingly
the very seat of genius. The gentleman
stated that he found him given TO study,
that he had beeh about three weeks lear
ming the Latin ruaiments, and. lhoplng,
| suppose, to turn tIIe youths attention
from The Law to tie ministry, resolved to.
place him under my care for the purpose
of Learning Greek, Latin and Malhcmat'
les, sufficient to enter Charleston Col
lege. | very gladly received him, for |
Immediately perceived he was no COM
mon youth, as intelligence beamed in his
dark eye, and shone brightly on his coun'
tenance, Indicating grea; ability, and an
! assurance of his future progress. | at
once put him in the highest class, just be-
ginning to read Cesar's Commentaries,
and although at first inferior, his prodi'
gious memory and enthusiastic applca-
lion soon enabled him to surpass the best.
lie began Greek at the same time, and
read with some who had been long at it,
in which he also soon excelled In short,
in the space of one year, he had with the
class, and at odd hours with myself, read
four books of Caesar, Cornelius Nepos,
Sallust, six books of Virgil. nearly all
Horace and two books of Livy; and
in Greek, all Greca Minora, about
the half of the first volume of GrGca
Maiora, and four books Of Homer's Illiad.
And whatever he read, he retained, Ii
seemed 10 me, in fact, as if he learned
by mere intuition. | was myself utterly
aslonished, and at the same time delight
ed with his progress. ! have hinted
above thai he was designed for the church,
but when | contemplated his bold, fear
less disposition, his powerful inventive
genius, his admiration of warlike exploits,
and his love of heroic and adventurous
deeds, / did not think likely he, would
be Minister of the Gospel, he had not
however, the least appearance of any vice
whatever. On the contrary, he was al
ways the very pattern Of virtue and mod
esly. could not help loving him, SC
much did he captivate me by his gentle.
, manly,conduct andexlraordinary progress
1t was easy is see that he would one day
raise HIMSELF 10 emineuce. Whilst under
my instruction, l discovered his early
genius for poetic composition in the fol
: lowing manner When the Greek class
e read the account that Herodotus gives o.
the battle of Marathon, the bravery o
MiItiadas and his len thousand Greeks
~ raised his patriotic feelings to enthusiasm
: and drew from him expressions which
: thought we're embodied few days after
e ward in some we'll written velses in ;
n Charleston paper, on that far famed, un
equal, but successhll conflict against tyr
amy and oppression, and suspecting M
: talented scholar toll the ah!hor,l l wen
e 70 his desk and asked him if he did no
|. write them and hesilating at first, rattle
o blushingly, he confessed he did. | the
y said i knew you could do such things
IS and suppose you have some such pie
ees by you, which | should like to SET
e DO bring them to me- lie consented
~ and in day or two brought me mum
her, which read with pleasure and at
>, miration as The strong marks of geni1
ID stamped on all, but here and thers re
d curing, as thought very slight amend
lg ment.
~ Il had hired mathematician to teac
both him and myself, (for | could NJ
then leach that science and this he ais
made snch wonderful progress, that at Il
=. end Of one year he entered the Jul
az " ior Glass in Charleston College tr
II umphantly, whilst others who had bee
40 40 studying four years and more were OBJ
VI " ged to take the Sophomore class. Abo
'c the end of the year 1928, left Charlie
ton, but heard tha, he highly distinguis
" ed himself, and graduated in 1890. A
'e ter that he taught Mathematics for som
OF time, and then went to study law und
re a certain celebrated Senator. His care
IN afterwards has been one of heroic adve
ture, of hair breadth escapes by food al
ar' field, and Of scientific explorations, viii
M have made him world wide renowned,
Ct CT letter | received from him very lateI
W nc he expresses his gratitude to me in
'aS M following words l am very far .frc
IN IN either forgetting you, or neglecting yoc
we we or in any way losing the old regard
AK had for you. There is no time to viii
as I go back with more pleasure than Il
III spent with you, for there was no time
=. thoroughly we'll spent, and of anything
Ike may have learned, l remember moth
so well, and so distinctly, as what .
quired with YOU Here ] Cannot h
saying that the merit was almost all
us' own. 1t is true that | encouraged ;
ing cheered him on, but If the soil into VIII
'er- | put the seeds of learning had not b
eel cen of The richest quality, they never wo