The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-11-24


Gilbert G.. Lane was born IN Wey.
bridge. Vt, March 18th. l~2-. At the
rge Of six he rcmovel with his parents TO
Cornwall, whore. with occasional Interrupt.
tions. he resided until his death. From
infancy he was II strtng to he ll,h. The
usual recrGations of children were more
than his feeble frame could endure. His
difficulties arose not from any particular
form Of disease, but from a general debil.
ity and weakness Of the system, Tut,
amid all this physical prostration, his mem
tal powers began to unfold with unusual
vigor and rapidity. In consequence of
his slender health, he attended school but
little previous to his tenth year, and none
at all after twelve years of age. From
the twelfth to the sixteenth year Of his
age his general debility prevented his at
tendance upon any public instruction.
liut his mind was pcrpetualIy alive. He
devoure1 everything in literature. His
tory, biography, philosophy, poetry, and
thu nobler works of fiction were drained
Of their richest treasures and assimilated
10 MS tnc0lal ndtuTe.
AT length. at the age of seventeen. his
health improved SO that he was able 10
attend a select school in Cornwall for n
single term duriug which he commenced
Latin and the higher Mathematics. Then
follows m interval of two years, during
which he was an invalid. At eighteen
years of age he attended during one term
at Newton Academy in S~horeham.
After this he was obliged to fjrego his
studies for four entire years, during which
his debility was extreme. For weeks in
succession he was affected with attending
headache. A walk of q few rods, or the
slightest bodily effort was sufficient to ex.
haust him.
Yet under all these discouraging cir.
cumstances his progress in knowledge was
ntver for a moment interrupted. His
mind was constantly at work upon the
advanced mathematics, and the different
themes of the mental and speculative eel.
ences.
Again, at the ago of twenty-five, his
system rallied. In February, 1849, he
entered Castleton Seminary, where he
first formed the purpose Of acquiring a
liberal education. At the Seminary he
seemed to experience no disadvantages
from his previous lack Of school privi-
leges, but speedily took position among
the'irst scholars of the institution win.
ming the regards of every one by the.
modesty of his department, and surpris-
ing his instructors by the ease with which
he mastered every department of know.
ledge.
In the spring of 1850 he entered Mid.
dlebury College, commencing with the
second term of the Freshman year. He
Immediately took position as o scholar at
the head Of bis clsss-a place which he
maintained without the slightest apparent
effort during the entire course. These
were his Golden years. For the first time
in his life his health was good. Strangely
little respite from his studies did he seem
to require. His recreation was not in the
usual pastimes of his companions, hut
rather in turning from ons department of
knowledge to another. Thus did he oc.
cupy his waking hours, and, by exercising
the different faculties of his mind upon
their appropriate objects, he kept them all
unwearied and in progress.
In the recitation room he was marvel.
lousy exact So much so, that during
his entire college csurse, he scarcely com.
mitted an error or inaccuracy in a class
exercise. Order, system, thorouphness,
and punctuality seemed parts of his very
nature. His working hours were careful
ly appropriated, and strong wa. the rea.
son that lead him to infringe upon them.
Every movement seemed part of a sys.
tenn. He always had a purpose, and to
this all his actions and Thoughts we're sub.
oriinat9d. He gave his whole earnest at.
ton to whatever he undertook. He sci.
dom lost sight of a purpose once carefully
and deliberately formed. II might he de.
layod. Sickness might intervene. Long
months Of toll might stand in his wav.
But in the end, twas sure to be accom-.
plishcd. Strangely at variance with the
frailty and utter weakness Of his nhysical
system was the mental energy and power
thot he brought to bear upon every object
of his thoughts.
With so much to discourage and weigh
him down. he never yielded TO de.ponden.
cy-never in iulged in regrets-never
wished that this or that event of Provi.
dence had been different. Confined at
home by long and painful debility-obliged
to forego his darling pursuits-his most
cherished plans, never did a single cloud
Of discomfort or shade of uneasiness pass
over him nay, not even an expressed
wish that his condition were in any wise
different.
His whole character and conduct spoke
his deepest confidence in the wisdom Of
God and his assurance that He would do
all things well.
During a revival season soon after he
entered College, his attention was called
TO his spiritual interests. His heart took
hold of the subject with all the deep ear.
nestness Of his nature. In a few DAYS he
was brought to bow at the foot of the
Cross. Ever afterward he showed himself
a humble devoted follower Of Christ, viii.
ling TO acknowledge Him before men. and
exhibifinu "A christian character nn;e.r-