The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-11-27
Henry ward Heeener Discourse. sl
HIs First Ten Dollars.


Henry ward Beeeher Discourse sr
His First Ten Dollars.
Frun nc NelD Hore Ledger
/ Il is true that Horace Greslsy has
more things to remember and 70 tell US
about than most men who hnve sTaid ab
/ home and led "A civil life. But is thnt a
reason why he only should write an au-
tObiogruphy2 SnY-Fertly.
! There stands before me "A line of bat
/ tered and worn bOoks-EngIish class
les. Their history is little TO them, but
l much to me- In part, it is my own his-
I tory. l wish L could lay my hand on
the tirst book 1 ever bought, aiter the
{ dim iIien of library began tO hover in
my mind. But that bu0k iB gone.
Here, however, ara others whose oiog-
riphy 1 can give Aseariy AZ lSS2 be-
gan 70 buy bOOks-a few Volumes
/ but each one 4 monument Of engineer
/ ing. My tirst bouks, if 1 remember cor
( raGtly, were bought OF J. s. II c. Adams,
/ in Amherst, Massachusetts. L used To
[ 70 in there anu look wtstfully at their
shal yes. Ny allowance Of money WIS
very small-sCHrrely more than enough
10 pay my postage, when letter cost
twelve and half or twenty-five cents.
To take a two or three dollar book from
my tiVe dollars OF spending money,
would have lefG me in "A state Of sad
I impecuniOsity. Therefore, for mnnY.
many months, took it out in looking.
as early as at sixteen years of age,
I had begun to speuk a little in public
-faiut peapings, just such as L hear in
young btrds before they are fully hedg-
ed For such service, the only pnY-
ment WAS kind patience till L released
them by finishing my crude efforts.
Bnt at that time, say 1882, L was sent by
the college society ~ delegate TO
temperance convention, in Pelhum, or
Enfield or somewhere else. I conceived
a desire thereafter To give temperance
lecture. I hnve forgotten how L ever
rot a chance To do. IL, but L rsmem Der
that there cnms an invitation trom
BrattIeboro, Vermont, TO lecture on the
I'm of July. My expenses were 70 be
puidl 4 modest pride warmed my
heart, aE the thoaght Of making renl
speech in public. smnthered all the
6aars and diffidences, with the resOlute
purpose that L would succeed. re-
mem ber the days of writing anu an1-
ions preparation, and the grand senAe
OF being man, when L hnd finished
nv manuscript But the most gener-
Gus purposes ara apt 10 bs rui neu with
saiii5hness; and my public spirit alas,
had "A financial streak of Joy In Tiny
expenses were TO be paid
We'll, suppose 1 chose to walk and
save all the expenses? should hnve
az least, eight dollars OF my own, and
of which need give no account! That
whuId be an sru indeed. But grave
-rruples arose. Was IL honest To take
money for expenses which 1 had not
really incurred? II 1 went by stage, l
might lawfully charge my fare and
food but, il neither OF Them COST me
ANYTHING, how could [ honestly makB
A bill of expeuses? [ did not get any
relief in rejecting upon il. started ON
an foot went up the Connecticut River
valley, and reached BrattisbOrO by the
way OF Greentiaid-
Every hour this question Of honesty
returned. Ny feet bliatered with wnlk-
ing, but I stamped on them hard IN
the morning, and the momsnthry ex-
ouisita pain seemed to paralYZs the
sensibiIity aftarwarC. Whether it was
counter-trritatinn that releRset my
brain or whather-as L near that did
II snotherad CunCisnce by saying 10
uyseIr that | would settle the matter /
wRan the time came, [ do not know,
RuE was released from even thut
aIruUgIe inasmuch Rs not word was
said 10 ms about expense7i or money 1
in any form Yet had "A charming 4
yfair. The rising OF the moon from oe'
hind the mountain that hedges IN the
toWu on the east, powerfully excited my 1
Imagination, aud led to tha writing OF
Lha rirst DipCa, I believe, that L aver
nrtntPd, It was published in the GiIsSf, I
4 college paper, issued chiefly as rival
to another cnllege pnpsrr whose name
faIssl has escaped me. And II any
bndv eouId send me a volume Of that
Guest should be exceedingly beholden
RnI- aftar reaching College again-no
Ionaar a mere student out n puDuc
naan-0ne who had made speeehes--one
Who determined TO be modest and NOT
to allow auccsss 20 put MIN up-a very
rraat and wonderful thing hnppsned:
Tha post brought ma "A letter from Brat
tIahnrn containing ten dollars. could
NOT believe my eyes. forgot my
seruplss. Providence had putit 10 me
ia sTinh a way that J got my cousctence
oy-ar on the other side, and felt that It
would be- a ain and shame for me- to be
r,ising questions and serlples ON such
a n,atfArt But, oh, that bill How II
yvartnad me and invigoraUed mel
looked at It before going 70 sleep; L Ak
Antned my pocket the next morning
early. To be SURE that hau nor urshLn-
al "a How pitied ths poor students
,yno had not we'll knew, ten dollars
in thsfT- uuukstz- Still tried to keep
DOWN Drida in iL8 Offensive fnrmH.
would not be lined up. would strive
10 ba even more familiar than nafnre
with the plainest of my acquainIano
'sVVhat liz money!" said 70 mYsea-
HIu a NOT properly that makes the man;
IL lis" Well, perhnpst thou8nL II
yyaa tho ability to deliver elnS dent tenn
neraues addresses. But, great Ia the
ieceitfulnesA of money 1 felt the pride
OF riches. knew every waking mo
,nent that had money. / was getting
resolved u0,inyeSt-. There WINS but
ono thing 10 invest in-bnOks. went
- AdanSi store saw an edition OF
Bnrka's works. With the ease and air
al a rich man bought aud paid for
imam. Adams looked at me, and thea
AZ the bill, and then at me. l nsVer
could make up my mind WhHther II
yyas admiration or suspicion that his
facs expressed. ButI wanted him, and
nnnted 10 have hun, Hsk me, w mere
aid YOU get all OF this ten dollar blll9'
aowavar, I concluded TINT the sx-
nrgsaion wns one of genuine admir1-
tinn. With my BOOKS under my arm
n newer to this day could get over the
iisDoSitinn 70 carry home my own
nacbagsa,Y I returned to eoltsEer and
oI,,.Isd on my table my volumes Of
BnrkRI I tried 70 hide nom myae4t
that had a vain purpose IN u, nAt
Vas waiting to see BannisEer' SURPRISE
anri. to hear aowarIf's exGiatnRtion, and
~ hay, IL whispered in Lha Gltisa' room,
20 .ay-hIvB you heard that beechsf
T....-rfsY ssnuu nf AmFAA ~