Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-08-31
A "REMINISCENCES OF ERSKINE.
/ am told that you remember the late Lord Frs

"REMINISCENCES Ot ERShlNE.
81 am told that you remember the late Lord Frs
kiney ..,... ..sss.-s ~
-. 81 remember him well, sill" was bis reply, 81
knew him long before he was the great man that he
became. He was about nine or ten years my Sc
NOR Fora long time no one knew who he was,
and he used TO go by The name of the Rampant
Mailman Most people were frightened at him, and
the mothers used to make a sort of DOGGY of him
to frishten their refractory children"
"i'll send for that mad gentleman they used to
say He staid in this very place where you now
are. He never said long at time, but he paid us
visit pretty often"
'.What did he d. that people thought HIM mad ?
"Do, sir? Why he would stand at the very
edge of the cliff where the flagstaff now is, and
talk by the hour--sometin,eS for two hours three
hours together and loud would he speak at times
that you might hear him quarter of mile off, his
right arm moving above his head, and his left hand
clenchcd firmly on his hip"
(The old man stood up and initiated the great Or
ator's attitude.)
"At low water he would go and stand on those
black rocks ont yonder and talk, seemingly to the
waves When he began he never stopped till it was
all over and have seen the perspiration running
down his forehead even in cool weather. He never
kept his hat on while he was speaking, but soon
as he was done, he would put it on, and sometimes
laugh heartily. He used to talk like man that
had something on his mind which he could not d.
vulge to his fellow creatures; and yet he did not
seem to care who heard lin speak. l and several
other young men have been within six or seven
wards of him. and, although he saw us, he took no
more nstice of us than if we had been parcel of
sticks stones, aud went on talking Just the same
lie had been down here off and on for more than
two years before it was known that he was famous
barrister Erskne and then it was only by accident
we knew that he was not mad"
How
"On one Sunday afternoon he brought down with
him young gentleman, of about twenty years OF
age, who walked about the pier while Mr.. Erskine
was making speech out upon the rocks. One Of
the men on the pier remarked to this young gentle
man, What pity that such fine man, and such
pleasant spoken man. when he is calm. should be
so madI' Whereuron the young man roarcd with
laughter, and then let the cat out of the bag by
saying who his friend was. 1t was afterwards that
I and several others then here, but now gone to
their account came to know him so well. And a
right merry gentleman he could be- too. Lord bless
lis, sir swift as time flies it only as ycSter-
day that he would come down here and say to us
as he made his way to the cliff. with his hands in
his breeches' pockets, and walking like sailor, The
had been in the navy, YOU know sir,) Come along
my lads. and be the jury! | going to make
another speech And most beautiful thing it was
to listen to him.
Onc minute Tic WOuu Iildhc YOU lily
and the next moment he'd bring the water into your
eyes, by the tender way in which he'd allude to u
fading flower or n sickly child There was one case
in particular, I remember. 1t was an action brought
against Mr.. Somebody or other. by lords eldest
son. for CARRYING off his wife 1t was most beauti-
ful-as we told him when he asked us how we liked
it. Blest if he didn't make out as how the defend
ant the ill-',sed party and not the man as had
lost his WIFE Expensive travelling was in those
e =, Ln,,, IL
liver that speech in court before the Judges and the
regular sworn jury: and such a crowd as there was
of lords and gentlemen. to be >urc"'
And did he deliver that same Speech!' asked.
ayes. In parts it little different and some
things were added: but it was in the main. Just
what he said standing out them rocks Wonder.
There was silly pride about Mr.. Erskine, sir.
As soon the case was over. and he was coming
out of court his quick eve caught sight of us; and
up he comes, puts out his hand to each Of us and
says, What! you here. my lads? Well. follow
me And he walks off to an old public house near
the court called the Chcquers and orders two hot
ties of port wine for US: and while drink
ing it, explained to how it not possible
for him to win the day; and that all the effect his
speech would have would be to reduce the damages.
He mighty pleased to hear himself praised, and
seemed Just as proud of our approval as anvbody's
else II don't think, sir continued the old man,
that Mr.. ErSkine felt any of the fine things he said
in his speeches. 1t was all acting with him; and
I'll tell you why think so. One day he was walk
ing along the sands, spouting of poetry out of a
bookhc was learning Of it, for he read it over and
! over again-and while he was doing so he turned
up his eyes. shook his head and stretched forth his
hand, in such way that You might have taken him
for street parson. it was most serious sort Of
poetry. 1t was something about Farewell the
drums and flies, the banners and the big guns-and
the rlumcs and the feathers cooked hats and swords
! and the virtuous and the fair women-honors
! decorations, and rewards? o. farewell, everything
Alas! the poor fellows occupations gone!' All o
sudden, sir he shuts up the book, claps it unde,
/ his arm, whistles Jig and dances to it, and re
markably well, too did he come the double shuttle
| Another time. when he reading but poetry,
him work himself up till the tears actually roll
ed down his chceks-and not two minutes after
wards he playing at FOUNDERS with all the litti'
, boys on the beach,"
"And did Mr.. ErSkine know" | asked the ole
smuggler, THAT at first you all thought he wa
mady'
Eyes; and was very much amused at it. "-House
hold Wo"ds"
The EDUCATION Most NEEDEp-LEARS TO LABOR
The question is often asked why is it that so few
people are successful in business and why propert,
finds such an unequal distribution? This man, the,
say, received the advantages of good English edu
cation, and that was educated at of our hes
colleges Both have been industrious honest an