Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-14

lows from death door back TO health |
aud strength, or whether he shall select
from the many other roads before him.
Wherever he may go, it is a pleas
ant reflection that-in our country all
Highways are open none are excluded
from that employment in life most con-
congenial; that there are no titled es
sentials. lie does not 90 into a pro-
fession by purchase. lie maintains
himself there only by work and merit.
If he chooses to till the ground, he is
absolute lord of his soil. The highest
positions and richest honors arc within
his reach. But with all this, in such a
country, the life of man has a terri
BILE meaning. it is no idle or unmean-
ing ceremony. Its purposes can be
accomplished only by work, out of
which grows skill. learning and in
tegrity.
'For the nights my brave men reached and
kert.
Are not attained by sudden flight;
For they, while their companions slept
Were tOilmg upward in the night"
LAuu TIC VIM Earliest SccS tilttt llIC Is etlI-
nest goes quick to his work.
We ae thinking of one who saw the
road he was to travel early. He pre-
pared himself with varied education,
and early treasured up eaclr thought
and word he might want, and struck
with immense energy and manly
courage straight for his Rome. Gen
erous, he pushed none others from the
road, but ran right on with words of
cheer to keep the rest along. l would
speak of him as fifty illustrating the
comparison am feebly making, not
as one having fit words, but with that
fair intent which justice to his memory,
love, gratitude and respect have given
me. benjamin Human Steele was born
in Stanstead, on the 9th day Of Feb
ruary, A. D. 1887. He never was of
the healthy, hardy, robust organism.
Although enjoying ordinary health, his
make was of the slender, intellectual
type. At six or seven years of age, he
began tc show great mental activity.
From that time he was rather silent,
thoughtful boy ; much by himself, not
seeking the society of others, yet draw
ing them to him by his peculiar man.
ners. He was quite social, but only
when sought. Still, no game was so
boisterous that he could not attract the
attention Of those engaged, and interest
them with what he had TO say, being,
when engaged, quite animated in con-
versation. He had clear, analytical
mind, and when boy, could state his
propositions with remarkable clcarn6ss,
skill and force, often eliciting express
sions Of surprise and admiration by the
manner he would vanish older debaters
at the village lyceum and elsewhere.
His fondncss for books and study was
so marked that his parents and friends
wisely gaze opportunity for the devel-
opment of the boy mentally. Although
his life was shorter than that Of the or
binary robust boy. kept at manual cX-
: ercise, that kind of life would not have
been in harmony with his nature, and
in it | believe he would have persisted
| even before he did. His progress was
so rapid that when IA years Of age, he
: taught one Of the most advanced schools
| in his native town, giving universal
= satisfaction. The next winter he taught
in Derby, then in Troy, in Concord
I Mass, two winters, then as | recollect
S it, in Derby again. He had early Sc
= lectcd the road he was to take, and was
preparing earnestly for his journey
: teaching studying, reading; now the
G most ardent devotec at the Derby anC
e Stanstcad Academies, again recitinE
4 Latin and French to the kind Catholi,
3 Priest then busily learning French
: five months at the College st. Pierre
5 rushing into a course at Norwich Uni
h versity, quickly hurrying from there t.
# Dartmouth College, for the want o
+ time to complete course at both insti
e tutions; Frustrated by sickness, bur
j dened with the care of a family whic
sickness and death threw upon his ca
g pable and willing mind, he ran toward
l. the city of his destiny with wonderful
Il courage. Thus, with q long arm an
is a strong will, he hewed his way throug
II college, over the threshold of which h
n was stepping out into the world as tn
If acknowledged leader of his class, whe
ID | first saw him, organizing, controllin
g and directing the last exercises in whic
IS he and his companions would ever Ell
is gage as college students. The gree
o. influence which he eXerted there bC
a. longed not alone to that occasion.
O. was q marked characteristic of Ii
i whole life.
ii Leaving college at the early age {
T. twenty he continued the study of Law
s, (for he had read all along the road b'
re fore) in the office of the late Hon. job
III p. Sartle, in Barton, where he almo
d, Immediately, as ] have heard Mr.. Sa
es tie say, did any of the work of the ofIit
It with skill and correctness, notwithstan,
s !; ing his attention was divided betwec
es his study and his duties as principal
e. the Barton Academy. But this conti
es ued but for short time, when a sevel
m attack of.typhoid fever compelled hi
ad to abandon his school and study. {
he his recovery lie went to Cambridg
m with the purpose of pursuing his studi
e. at the law school. After remaining
er while there, he attended the Supren