The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-27
NEIGHBORLY DUTIES.

The late Mr. Peter Harvey used 20 tell
with much zest a story illustrating the hold
which early associations retained on Web
ster's mind throughout his life. Some
months after his removal from Portsmouth
70 Boston, = servant knocked at his chamber
door late in an April afternoon in the year
1917, with the announcement that three men
were in the drawing-room who insisted on
seeing him. Webster was overwhelmed
with fatigue, the result Of his Congressional
labors and his attendance on courts Of law;
and he had determined, after nights sleep,
to steal a vacation in order 20 recruit his en-
ergies by fortnight's fishing and hunting
He suspected that the persons below were
expectant clients; and he resolved in de
scending the stairs, not to accept their offer.
He found in the parlor three plain, country
bred, honest-looking men who were believers
in the innocence Of Levi and Laban Kennis-
ton, accused Of rObbing a certain Major
Goodridge on the highway, and whose trial
would take place at Ipswich the next dav
They could find, thsy said, nomember Of the
Essex bar who would undertake the defence
OF the Kennistons, and they had come to
Boston to engage the services Of Mr. Web
ster Would he 20 down to Ipswich and
defend the accused? Mr.. Webster stated
that he could not and would not go. He had
made arrangements for an excursion to the
seaside the state Of his health absolutely
demanded a short withdrawal from all bust
ness cares and that no fee could tempt him
to abandon his purpose. "Wel,'' was the
reply Of one Of the delegation, 'it isn't the fee
that we think Of at all, though we are willing
ton hot
Here are two New Hampshire men who are
believed in Exeter, and Newbury, and New
burypoTt, and Salem to be rascals; but we
in Newmarket believe, in spite OF all evidence
against them that they are the victims Of
some conspiracy. We think you are the man
to uuravel it, though it seems a good deal
tangled even to us. StiH we suppose that
men whom We know to have been honest al
their lives can't have become such desperate
roEueS all of a sudden. -
"But I cannot take the case, PERSISTED
Mr. Webster: Il am worn 10 death with
overwoTk; 1 have not had any real sleep for
forty-eight hours. Besides, ] know nothing
( Of the facts" Its hard. / can see, con
! tinued the leader OF the delegation ''but
you're 4 New Hampshire man, and the
neigbbors thought you would not allow two
innocent New Hampshire men, however
humble they may be in their circumstances,
to suffer for lack Of your skill in exposing
the wiles Of this snoundrel GoOdridge. The
neigtbors all desire you to take the case
That phrase ''the neighbors." settled the
question. No resident Of the city knows
what the phrase means. ButWebster knew
il in al the intense significance of its mean
ing. His Imagination flew back TO the scat
tered homesteads Of a New England village,
where mutual sympathy and assistance are
. the necessities, as they are the common
places, Of village life. The phrase remotely
meant to him the combination Of neighbors
/ to resist an assault Of Indian Savages, or %
/ send volunteers to the war which wrought
+ the independence Of the nation. Especially
meant to hin the help OF neighboT 10 neigh
/ boT, in times Of sickness, distress, sorrow and
calamity. In his childhood and b0yhood the
Christian question. "Who IS my nc.ghbOr 90
s was instantly solved the moment Il matrou
+ in good health heard that the wife Of Farmer
\, or Farmer B. was stricken down by fever,
and needed friendly nurse to sit 5y her
bedside all night, though she had herself
been telling all day. Everything philau-
thropists mean when they talk of brother
hood and siste-hOOd among men and women
was condensed in that homely phrase, ''the
neighbors." 'Oh"' said Webster, ruefully,
'ff the neighbors think I may be Of service,
Of course ! must go;" and, with his three
companions, he was soon seated in the stage
for Ipswich.