Smyrna times., 1878-01-09
Daniel Webster's Religious Charac-
ter.

From the "reminiscences of Daniel
Webster" by his friend Peter Harvey, a
volume Of great interest, just from the
press of Little, Brown & Co., Boston, we
make the following extract:
The year before Mr. Webster died, in
the autumn of 1851, was spending few
weeks with him at his place in franklin.
One pleasant morning he said to me-
:" am going to take drive up to
Andover, and | want you to go with me-"
Andoyer was about ten miles from his
place in Franklin. He added =
I'VE can start after breakfast, and it
will take US an hour and half or two
hours to 60. we shall only want to stay
there an hour or so, and we will return in
time for dinner When we get into the
wagon will tell you who am going to
see."
The horse was harnessed and we started
of. As we rode along, Mr.. Webster had a
great many "reminiscences called to mind
by different objects that we passed. Such
man used to live here, he would say. and
such man lived in such house, and
there l remember such a man lived in
such house and here he used himself to
live when boy, and there he used to pitch
quoits, and in another place he used to
play with John Holden's boys.
After Mr.. Webster had recounted various
pleasing "reminiscences of this kind he
said =
Now | will tell you the object of this
trip to-day. | am going to see a man by
the name Of Colby. John Colby is a
brother-in-law OF mine. He married nv
Oldest half-sister, and was, of course, O
good many years older than myself-as
she was. | have not seen him for forty.
i've years, as nearly as / can recollect.
My sister, his wife, has been dead many,
many years; and any interest | may have
had in John Colby has all died out: but
have learned some particulars about his
life that interest me very much, and am
going to see him. | will tell you some
thing about him. When | was a lad at
home, on the farm, John Colby was a
smart, driving, trading, swearing yeoman.
money-loving and money-getting In that
rather rude period, when there were not
many distinctions in society, when one
man was as good as another, and when
there were very few educated persons. he
was considered very smart active man.
remember him, however, with a sort of
terror and shudder. lie would pick me up
when was a little fellow, throw me astride
of horse bareback, and send the horse to
the brook. The horse would gallop, and
mad to hold on to his name to keep from
being pitched into the river. Colby was
reckless, wild, harum-scarum, daredevil
sort Of a fellow. Well, John Colby married
my Oldest half-sister. She was religious.
good woman; but beaux were not plenty,
and John Colby was fine looking man.
His personal habits were good enough, Law.
ing aside his recklessness he was not n
drinking man, and he was, as the world
goes, a thrifty man. Any of the girls in
town would have married John Colby.
After he married my sister, went awav 10
college, and lost sight of him. Finally. he
went up to Andover and bought farm
and the only recollection have about him
after that is, that he was called, ! think.
the wickedest man in the neighborhood. so
far as swearing and impiety went. used
to wonder how my sister could marry 50
profane a man as John Colby. I think she
herself was very much shocked and know
her father was, who was religious man.
And still Colby was considered a good
catch l came home from college during
vacation, and used to hear from him oc
casionally; but after a few years,-perbaps
live or six years,-my sister died, and then.
of course, all the interest that any of us
had in John Colby pretty much ceased.
believe she left child,-I think daugh-
ter,-who grew up and was married, and
also left child.
"Now will give you the reason why I
am to-day going up to see this John Colby.
| have been told by persons who know,
that, within few years, he has become a
convert to the Christian religion, and has
met with that mysterious change which we
call change Of heart; in other words, he
has become constant, praying Christian.
'RhIs has given me very strong desire to
have personal interview with him, and to
hear with my own ears his account Of this
change. For, humanity speaking, should
have said that his was about as hopeless
case for conversion as | could well conceive
lie won't know me, and shall know him
and l don't intend to make myself known
at FIRST"
We drove on, reached the village,-a
little, quiet place, one street running
through it, few houses scattered along
here and there, with q country store, a
tavern, and a post-office. As we drove into