New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-27


mimic Rut his superiority called forth no jealousy
among his comrades. He was always full OF iuh'
and took mart in play with the other boys i'll 'no
most robust STYLE The testimonies TO MS ihoial
character are of this stamp. He was modest pure
sinole-minded, frank, and truthful Ills thoughts
were busy with lterature his appetite lor k"oWi-
edge so eager to preserve him from ti'e .ePv"
tions of his age. He was open ana uhseinSu. no
bent of his nature was toward nobeness. In the
virtues of toll and economy his whole life was
school He wanted more books than his father
could afford to give him. and he could Obtain thelh
only by work. His first Latin grammar was the
gift of his father the Latin dictionary was paiu ioi
bv picking hucklebeTies when he was twelve years
old. He began to teach at seventeen, taking charge
Of district schools in the neghborhood for four sue
cessive winters. In the summer he was employed
in the usual labors of the farm and the workshop,
digging. blowing haying, laying stone wall, mend
ing wheels, repairing wagons and making pumps
with as much conscience if not with as much
delight. as in the pursuit of his studies The book
was always near to fill up the crevices of time.
One summer day in August 1880, the day before he
was twenty he obtained leave from his father to
be away from morning till night, and went OIL
telling no one where he was going. lie walked 10
Cambridge was examined for the Freshman Glass;
to which he was admitted, walked home ana
told his father who had gone to bed, that he had
entered Harvard College. But, Theodore" SAID
the old man. cannot afford it," "Father, 1T shall
cost ou nothing. | will stay at home and keep up
with my class" This he did for year, working on
the farm as usual, and only going to Cambridge TO
be examined. lie found no difficulty III Keeping
ahead Of his class in the regular course besides per-
forming vast amount of reading in general htera-
ture Being O nonresident, and his own tutor, he
paid no tuition fees, and was not entitled 70
degree. Four years later he might have had one by
paying the arrears of tuition, but this was beyond
his means In 1870 however he received the
honorary degree of A. NJ at the instance Of men
who insisted that his eminent literary attainments
should be recognized by the college.
In the Spring of 1884, Parker became an assistant
teacher IN private school Ill Boston, at salary OF
twelve dollars a month and board. His whole store
of worldly belongings was contained in great
wooden trunk covered with painted cloth About a
dozen volumes constituted his library. He was set
to teach more than he knew, but he soon made up
by toll what he lacked in acquisitions. Mathenat-
tics. natural philosophy, Latin, French, Spanish,
must be kept fresh by his own solitary efforts. Be-
sides his six hours in school, he studied ten or
twelve hours day. The task was too much for his
strength. He lost twenty-eght pounds of flesh IN
three months and signs of weakness and despond-
ency began TO show themselves. he needed air and
exercise but he reeded society more. His dis
position was genial He craved friendship, but he
had not even acquaintance. Fortunately this lite
lasted but twelvemOnth and in April. 1S3?
he opened private school in WatertOwn. He was
his own attendant aud porter. In winter he sawed
split and brought up the wood for the stove, made
the fire. and at all put the room i'll order for
the scholars. he began with two boys, Others
dropped in one by one till the school the first year
increased to thirty-twO. and afterwards TO fifty
four. The charge was not extravaganza i've dollars
a quarter but he never turned away a boy or girl
for want of means to pay the modest fee. The boys
gave him society," and he gave them his confidence.
He made companions of them, shared their sports,
gained their affections, and used the influence he
thus acquired to mold their characters for after
life Five or six of them were fellowbOarders with
him in the same family. With these he took I'M
common pains correcting their habits, ana cherish
ing deep interest in their moral welfare. The
exercises Of the school opened with prayer,
grace was said before meat, and the boys felt the
cOntagion of pure and reverent mind.
The life in Watertown was more congenial in many
respects than the life in Boston. There air and
light and the direct contact with Nature. In Sum-
mer there were long walks and the delightful rural
scenery of the neghborhood. Every Saturday he
walked to Cambridge, and to ChmlestOwn for in
struction in Hebrew. Botanical researches We're
enthusiastically pursued. He also found pleasant
companionship in many families. Coed men and
women welcomed him to their homes, where his in
timacy is still cherished in afectonate memories
and discpeshp. The friendships of two years lasted
for life, and were an education to him as well as to
bis associates. During his residence in Water
town Mr. Parker's achievements in scholarship were
remarkable. He pursued the study of Latin and
Greek authors. the most of Cicero, HerOdotus
Thucydides, Pindar, Theocritus, Bon, Moschus
the last four Of which he translated), and
Hschylus. He wrote for a Sunday-schOol class
a history of the Jews; increased his studies
in metaphysics taking mp Cousin and the
new school of French philosophers; and en-
tered upon a course of theology. In addition
to this he devoted portion of his time to the Ger
man poets, Goethe, Schiller and Klopstocl and the
works of Coleridge engaged share of his attention.
An occasional novel by Walter Scott, or a poem of
Byron, beguiled his leisure hours /" His studies ran
into the early morning. The landlady kept the
lamps well supplied but there no oil in his lamp
when the day broke"
In 1884, Mr.. Parker entered the Cambridge
Divinity School, where he remained two years and
three months. He was still so poor that he was
obliged to exc out his scanty means by taking four
or five pupils and to practice the most rigid
economy. He soon came to be regarded as
prodigious athlete in his studies. He made daily
acquaintance with books which were strange to
many old biblical scholars, and which the younger
members of the school did not know even by name.
He would dive into the college library, and fish up
huge tones in Latin and Greek, which he would lug
off to his room, and 90 into them with as much
eagerness as boarding school girl goes into novel
His power of speech also began to attract
attention. He was the best debater
if not the best writer in Divinity Hall.
hoo, &c lam r,s