The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-01-28

.ead every book in it two or three times
and even committed to memory a large
part of the best of them 1t was thi.
"agerness for ctlucatinn on his part tina,
hat led his father aftcrward to send him
10 Exeter /" school, and later to put hin
II dartmouth College.
There are not many boys in our timt
who have not acclaimed parts of Web.
>ter's great speeches: and it will interest
them to know that the boy who after.
ward made those speeches could never
! ,teclaim at all while he was at school
! lie learned MS pieces well, and practiced
| them in his own room. but he could not
! speak them before people to save his life.
Webster was always fond OF Shootin.
and fishing, and however hard he studied
the people arounf him called him laz
fnd Idle. because he wnnli spend whole.
jnNs III these sports. Once. while he was
>'uiyinw under DR.. Woods to prepare
.''r college. that gentleman spoke to him
'n the subject. and hurt his feelings Il
rrtle. The hoy mt to his room deter
aimed to have revenge. and this is the
way he took TO get it. The usual Latin
!''Ssoa was a hundred lines of Virgil but
Webster spent the whole night over the
book. The next morning before break.
FAST he went to DIR. Woods and read the
Whole lesson correctly. Then he said
'Will you hear few more lines doe
torn'
The teacher cnnsenting. Webster read
on and on and on, while the breakfast
rev cold. Still there was no sign of
the boys stopping, and the hungry doe
t,r at last asked how much further he
Nas prepared to read.
- 10 the end Of the twelfth book OF the.
.Eneid, answered the "idle" boy, in
triumph.
After that. Webster did not give up
his hunting and fishing. but he worked
- hard at his lessons. and got on 50 fast
that there was no further complaint of
lis IdenesS." He not only learned the
lessons given t" him. but more. every
day and besides this he read every good
book he could lay his hands on. for he
was not ut all satisfied To know only what
could be found in the school books.
WcbStCr'S father was poor and i'll debt,
but finding how eager this boy was for
education, and seeing. too. that he pos
Ses-ed unusual ability. he determined. i'll
rs lie Could afford the expense, 10 send
him to college. Accordingly. young Dam
el went to Dartmouth. But after he had
been there two years. and had gone home
for his vacation he startled his father
one morning by declaring that he would
Ezekiel s"uld be educated too. This
seemed out of the question. The father
cnuld barely afford to educate one son.
and be could not spare the other from
the farm work that provided the means
20" this. But v"ung Dan WIS generous
aud resolute. Ii Yoke could not he edu-
& tlFtl. llC N'utl libi. lie Nptltt NOT lPI
them sacrifice Zeke for him. and there
was an end OF the matter. The good old
mrther solved the difficulty. She was
gettiug old. she said. and her children
Were dear ~ her: she was willing to give
up every thing for their good. and if they
would promis" to take care of her during
her old age. the property should he sold.
the debts paid and what remained should
b. spent ii, educating both the boys.
After much debate, the matter was set
lied in this way. and it is pleaSan: to
know that tine dear old mother never
knew want as a consequence of her de-
v"tinu to the welfare Of her children.
Many anecdotes are tod to illustrate
the character Of young Dan. He was
always lavish of his money when he had
ANY. while his brother was careful but
generous. especially tn Dan. whom he
Greatly admired. On one occasion the
h"ys went to a neighborins town on
high holiday. each with a quarter of
dollar in his pocket.
Well. Dan" said the father On their
return, what did you do with your
mouey?'
Spent it." answered the boy.
And what did You do with yours
ZrEe?"
Let it TO Dan" WIS the answer. As
i fact, Dan had spent both quarters.
Young Webster was very Industrious
in his studies. as We have seen. and he
WAS physically strong and active, as his
tnndnes> for sport proved: but he could
never endure farm work One dav his
f,ther wanted him to help him in cut
mug hay with u Scythc; but very soon
the boy complained that the scythc was
not hung to suit him-tlat is to say,
1t was not set at Il proper angle upon its
handle. The old gentleman adjusted it.
nat still it did not suit the boy. After
repeated attempts to arrange it to Dan S
liking, the father said. impatientlv.-
' Well. hang it To Suit ynurSelf.' And
young Dan Immediately " hung" it over
4 branch of an apple tree and left it
there. That was the. hanging which
p'eascd him.
After finishing his college course Web
~tar began studying law. but having no
money. and being unwilling to tax his
father for further support. he Hent into
Northern Maine. and Taught school there
for q time. While teaching he devoted
his evenings to the work of copying deeds
and other legal documents. aud by close
erpr"mv he managed to live upon the
money thus earned 81 that he saved the
whole of his salary as teacher. With
this none. to live on he went to Boston,
studied law. and soon distinguished him
self. The story OF his life as a pubic
man. in the Senate, i'll the Cabinet. and
ut the bar. is well known. and it does
not belong to this sketch of his boyhood
The Lord S Prayer.
Did you ever think, short though it is,
how much there is ia it, Oh. it is beau