The New York herald., 1872-12-01
From the New York Times


PECULIARrTIEs OF HIS CHILDHOOD.
Tennys0n says that 1t is the mother makes us
most, and it was the fortune OF Horace Greeley to
have mother who, to the virtues she inher-
tied from the Woodburns, added many OF
her own. Mrs. Greeley was the favorite OF
the township the natural protector OF the
weak, the born cOns0ier OF the aflictcd,
the inevitable friend and ally OF every child in
the neghborhood. She was q great reader, and
remembered all she read. She loved agrlcul-
tural pursuits, was fond Of nowers and OF bees,
and had passion for walking. After working
In the fields and the garden, doing the labor OF
. man and OF q woman, too, during the day,
she would tell the old Irish stories she had learned
from her grandmother all the evening. To these
stories the boy Horace listened greedily as he sat
on the floor at her feet, the glow from the
wood fire lighting up his pale face and his
white hair. She spun as she narrated, while her
boys attention was divided between the
turning Wheel and the animated eyes OF his
mother. Doubtless these passages awoke In the
boys mind q thirst Tor knowledge and a lively
read is Impossible to state with any degree Of
certainty. Some of his early friends have asserted
that his mother taught him to read before
he could talk, but this Is q manifest absurdty
since the long words would convey to him no
meaning. But IL is fact that before he was
quite two years old, he would be upon his back
and holding the Bible in his tiny hands, would
pore over the leaves with peculiar solemnity
OF cOuntenance, and would gravely examine q
newspaper, Just as other children play with the
contents Of mammals work box. At three years
OF age he could read easily and correctly books
prepared for children In words OF one syllable
and at four he would unhesitatngn tackle any
Of the thirty or forty volumes which comprised
his fathers library. One OF his pecullarities
which ne would read, seldom sitting down com
fortably like an ordinary mortal, but generally
preferring to lie on his back or to curl himself
N
that he could read a book right side up, upside
down or sideways, to the great astonishment of
the neighbors who looked upon him as a little
conjuror. About this time, though under age, he
attended the district school OF Londonderry where
indeed, he had right to be, his parents lived
In Amherst; but his grandfather pressed the mat
ter, and as everybody liked the youthful prodigy,
there was no contest on point on which district
boards are sometimes apt to be strenuous.
MIR. GREELEY's FIRST ovERCoAT.
In June, 1880, the Northern Spectator was dis
continued, and the printing office was broken
up. The concern did not pay: Horace Greeley,
saved cent OF 1t. Neither had he spent .
cent All he could possibly spare was sent
10 his father, who had lett Westhaven, and
vase was engaged in clearing wild land In Pennsyl-
ms wardrobe consisted OF two ragged shirts and
the p0cket-handkcrchicf In which they were en-
vel0ped, with his last half years wages OF twenty
dollars. ne mad sore leg, but, in spite Of this he
quilted East Poultney the boarders or the
forth, and been the universal arbiter,
determined to display their friendly feelings and
they presented him with an ovcrcoat the first the
young man had evey possessed; for the good son
vigorously denied himself warm clothing through
the eerce WlpseTs ot Vermont ~ that he might