Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1882-08-11
TaE DsFnOOD OF DANIEL WEB.
NTGR.

the D0HnOOD Of DANIEL WEB.
NTER.
It was just one hundred years. on the
18th Of last January. since Daniel Web
sser, the great statesman, orator, and
lawyer was born, and the time seems a
fis one for saying something Of his boy
hood.
Webster's father lived near the head
waters Of the Merrimac River, and the
only school within reach was poor al.
far kept open for few months every
winter There Webster learned all that
the ignorant master could teach him,
which was very little but he acquired
a taste which did more for him than
the reading. writing. and arithmetic Of
the school. He learned to like books,
and to want knowledge; and when a
a boy gets really hungry and thirsty for
knowledge, it is not easy to keep him
ignorant. When some of the neighbors
joined in setting up little circulating
library. young Webster read every book
IN it two or three times, and even COM
mitted large part Of the best of them.
1t was this eagerness for education on
his part that led his father afterward to
send him to Exeter to school, and lat
er to put him in Dartmouth College.
There are not many boys in our time
who have not declaimed parts ofWeb.
ster's great speeches and it will inter-
est 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 he could not speak them before
people to save his life.
Webster was always fond Of shooting
and fishing, and however hard he stud
led, the people around him called him
lazy and idle. because he would spend
whole days in these sports. Once,
while he was studying under DR.. Woods
to prepare for college, he spoke to him
on the subject, and hurt his feelings
little. The boy went TO his room de-
.ermined to have revenge, and this is
the way he took to get 1t. The usual
Latin lesson WAS one hundred lines of
Virgil, but Webster spent the whole
night over the book. The next morn-
ing before breakfast he went to DIR.
Woods and read the whole lesson cor
rectIy. Then he said: "WilI you hear
a few more lines, doctor The teach
er 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 he was pre-
pared to read. ITO the end of the
welfth book Of Eneid," 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
"ldleness." He not only learned the
lessons gwen to him. but m )re, 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.
Webster's father, who was poor and
in debt, finding how eager this boy was
for education. and seeing, too, that he
possessed unusual ability, he determin-
ed, i'll as he could afford the expense,
to send him to college. Accordingly,
young Daniel went to Dartmouth. But
after he had been there two years, and
gone home for his vacation, he
startled his father one morning by
declaring that he would not 60 back to
college unless his brother Ezekiel
could be educated too.
This seemed out of the question. The
father could barely afford to educate
one son, and he could not spare the
other from the framework 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 getting old,
she said, and her children were dear to
her; she was willing to give up every.
thing for their good, and if they would
promise to take care of her during her
old age, the property should be sold,
the debts paid, and what remained
should be spent in educating both boys.
After much debate, the matter was set.
lied in this way, and 1t was pleasant to
know that the dear old mother never
knew want as consequence Of her de.
votion to the welfare other children.
Many anecdotes are told to illustrate
The character of young Dan. He was
always lavish ofhis money when he had
any, while his brother was careful, but
generous, especially to Dan, whom he
greatly admired. On one occasion the
boys went to neighboring town on a
ligh holiday. each with quarter of
lollar IN his pocket. "Well, Dan,"
aid the father on their return, what /
lid you do with your money!" "Spent I,
t" answered the boy. "And what did /,
'ou do with yours, Zexe!" "Lent It to
0an," was the answer. As a fact, Dan
lad spent both quarters. Young Web
ter was very industrious in his studies,
S we have seen, and he was physically