Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-01-27

The BOyhOOd OF Daniel Webster.
1t was just one hundred years ago on the
| 18th of January, since Daniel Webster, the
great statesman, orator and lawyer was born,
and the time seems a fit one for saying some
thing Of his boyhood. Websters father lived
near the head waters of the Merrimac river,
and the only school within reach was a poor
affair kept open for few months every win
ter. There Webster learned all that the ig.
norant master could teach him, which was
very little but he acquired a taste which did
mora for him than the reading, writing and
arithmetic Of the school. He learned to like
books, and to want knowledge and when a
boy gets really hungry and thirsty for knowl-
| edge, it is not easy to keep him ignorant
When some of the neighbors joined in set
ting up little circulating library, young
Webster read every book in it two or three
times, and even committed to memory large
part of the best of them. 1t was this eager
ness for education on his part that led his
father afterward to send him to Exeter to
school, and later to put him in Dartmouth
college.
There are not many boys in our time who
have not declaimed parts of Webster's great
speeches; and it will interest them to know
that the boy who afterward made those
speeches could never declaim at all while he
was at school. He learned his pieces well
and practiced them in his own room, but be
could not speak them before people to save
his life.
Webster was always fond Of hunting and
fishing, and however hard he studied, the
people around him called him lazy and idle,
because he would spend whole days in these
sports. Once, while he was studying under
DIR. Woods to prepare for college, that gen.
tleman spoke TO him on the subject, and hurt
his feelings little. The boy went to his
room determined to have revenge, and this is
the way he took to get it. The usual Latin
lesson was one hundred lines of Virgil, but
Webster spent the whole night over the book
The next morning before breakfast he went
to DIR. Woods and read the whole lesson cor
recty. Then he said:
"Will you hear few more lines, doctor ?"
The teacher consenting, Webster read on
and on and on, while the breakfast grew cold.
Still there was no sign Of the boys stopping,
and the hungry doctor at last asked how
much further be was prepared to read.
''To the END of the twelfth book of the
Kneid, answered the idle" boy, in triumph"
After that Webster did not give up his
hunting and fishing, but he worked so hard
at his lessons, and got on so fast, that there
was no further complaint of his 'idleness."
He not only learned the lessons given to him.
but more every day, and besides this he read
every good book he could lay his hands on,
for he was not at all satisfied to know only
what could be found in the school books.
Websters father was poor and in debt, but
finding how eager this boy was for education,
and seeing, too, that he possessed unusual
ability he determined, i'll as he could afford
the expense, TO send him to college. Accord
ingly, young Daniel went to Dartmouth. But
after he had been there two years, and had
- r.. l. IL
father one morning by declaring that he
would not go back to college unless his broth.
er Ezekiel could be educated too. This seem
ed out Of the question. The father could
barely afford to educate one son, and he could
not spare the other from the farm work that
provided the means for this. But young Dan
was generous and resolute. If Zeke could
not be educated, he would not. He would
not let them sacrifice Zeke for him, and there
was an end of the matter. The good old
mother solved the difficulty. She was get
ting old, she said and her children were dear
to her she was willing to give up everything
for their good, and if they would promise to
take care of her during her old age, the prop
erty should be sold, the debts paid, and what
remained should be spent in educating both
the boys. After much debate, the matter
was settled in this way, and it is pleasant to
know that the dear old mother never knew
want as a consequence of her devotion to the
welfare of her children.
Many anecdotes are told to illustrate the
character of young Dan. He was always Law
ish of his money when be had any, while his
brother was careful but generous, especially
to Dan, whom he greatly admired. On one
occasion the boys went to a neighboring
town on high holiday, each with quarter
of dollar in his pocket.
"Well, Dan," said the father on their re-
turn, "what did you do with your money ?"
"Spent it," answered the boy.
And what did you do with yours, Ecker"
'Lent it to Dan," was the answer. As a
fact, Dan had spent both quarters.
Young Webster was very industrious in his
studies, as we have seen, and he was physic-
ally strong and active, as his fondness for
sport proved; but he could never endure
farm work. One day his father wanted him
to help him in cutting hay with scythe;
but very soon the boy complained that the
scythe was not chung" to suit him, that is TO
say, it was not set at proper angle upon its
handle. The old gentleman adjusted it, but
still it did not suit the boy. After repeated
attempts to arrange it to Dams liking, the
father said. impatiently, "Well, hang it to
suit yourself" And young Dan Immediately
''hung" it over branch of an apple tree and
left it there. That was the hanging which
pleased him.
After finishing his college course, Webster
began studying law, but having no money,
and being unwilling to tax his father for fur
ther support, he went into northern Maine
and taught school there for a time. While
teaching he devoted his evenings to the work
of copying deeds and other legal documents,
and by close economy he managed to live up
on the money thus earned, so that be saved
the whole of his salary as a teacher. With
this money to live on, he went to Boston,
studied law, and soon distinguished himself.
George G. EggIestOR in Harper's Young
People.