The Portland daily press., 1871-09-06
The Early Days of william l., Marcy.

A correspondent of the Liberal Christian
tells this story about William L. Marcy
Ispent day of my vacation at Charlton,
Mass. As we rode into the village, on the
evening of our arrival, we saw an old man oD
his way from his house to the barn close by,
going with pail in hand, to milk the cows. He
was ninety-two years old. He not only milks
the cows, but drives them to pasture and goes
after them again every day, just as he has
done for 1 knOw not how many years. In the
morning, as we sat under the piazza of the
hotel. the old map was seen Walking along the
street on the other side, with quick, ener-
getic step, when Mr.. Pratt called him over to
the house, and introduced us to him. He sat
down and was very chatty, talking over the
times that were long ago, and telling us OF the
years when he saw such men as George
Washington and john Adams and Fisher
Ames, and mingled with the great spirits of
generation which seems quite distant from
the men of to-day. For General Salem Towne
our venerable friend, was formerly himself a
man Of mark and influence, well fitted by
Nature and education to associate with the
most eminent of his contemporaries. The
General is often spoken of as "the man who
OF the immediate vicinity, and grew up to be
wild and heady youth. He was thought by
bis parents and by all the neighbors to be the
worst boy they knew. One winter he sue
ceeded, in conjunction with Kindred spirits,
in Oasting the teacher from the district
school. Salem ToWne, then a young man,
was summoned as the fttest person to take
charge of these uni uly youth and complete
the term. Everybody thought the new teacn-
er would certainly have trouble with Bill
Marcy. But the trouble did not come. The
first day had not passed before Mr.. Towne
had discovered in his pupil an element of real
good. and told him So This, to the boy, was
a most unusual acknowledgment, and it
toucbed his heart. Some one had seen good
in him. He was, then, capable of better
things. and he was determined to make the
endeavor.
1t was the tut -uing-point of his life. Such
was his conduct aud sach his progress in
study that his teacher ADVISED hlm 70 go Oh
and prepare himself .'or cohege. was
great surprise to his parents, but at the ur-
gent solicitation of Mr.. TOHne they gave
their consent, and lie was placed under the
instruction of clergyman in the vicinity OF
his home. At length he entered college, and
passed through the course with great success,
justifying at every step the confidence and
hope of his best friend. In subsequent life he
rose from one degree of eminence and useful
ness to another, until at last the whole world
was familiar with The name and fame of the
great statesman of New York, William l..
Marcy.
Long years after he had left his school-day
haunts, and when he had come to deserved
eminence, heIvisited Boston, and was the
guest of the then Governor of the old Bay
State Among the distinguished men who
were invited to meet him was General Salem
Towne. When the Governor saw Marcy and
TOwne greet each other as old friends, he nat
urally expressed pleasurable surprise that
they knew each other so well. "Whyr said
Marcy, shat is the man that made me.
When was boy everybody was against me.
NOne-no, not even my own father or moth
er-saw any good in me. He was the first
who believed in me, befriended me, told me
what might become, and helped me on in
life at that critical juncture. Whatever of
merit or distinction l have since attained to l
owe to him more than to any other living per-
ton." We need not say that the teacher, who
has so long survived the lllustrious pupil, is
proud to remember that he is "the man who
made Bill Marcy,"