The Osceola times., 1883-10-27
Communicated
Equipping Youth fer the
War.
" NArEEAL SENSE"

/" Noteral parts rs better than all
the tarnm' upon yearth." This sem
tinent, in exactly the language here
quoted, was uttered by an American
lassic--by man who achieved a
worldwide renown by the force Of
his talent, genius and daring intrep-
idity as an orator and statesman, by
a man who stands upon the roll Of
Americas lmmortals side by side
with Washington, Jefferson, Adams
and the rest of the Fathers of the
Republic. Governor Page, of Nir-
ginia, heard the remark, and pre-
served it as above, fof the cdiicatioR
of posterity. The pronunciation Is
vicious; the grammar, eXecrable; but
the sentiment as true as any axiom
in science. An educated man, or a
man acquainted with the pronuncia-
ton and grammar Of his native Ian
guage, hearing the above expression
fall from the lips of man or boy, if
he deigned to give a thought to the
subject, would at once infer that such
person would never rise in the
world by the use Of his tongue. If
any one with the spirit of prophecy
in him, had predicted, that in a few
years, the man who had said, "Na-
teral parts is better than all the lar
min on yearth " would be listened to
as the most majestic, fascinating and
invincible orator of his country, the
prophet would have been looked
upon as lunatic. At the age Of
eighteen, the author Of the sentiment
was married and encumbered with
the cares of a family: "obscure, un-
known, and almost unpitied; digging
with wearied limbs and am aching
heart, a small spot of barren earth,
(yearth, he would have called it, for
bread, and blessing the hour of night
which relieved him from toll" This
is an authentic picture of the youth
of the man, whom in the next age, a
gifted Byron was to describe as
"Ihe Forrest born Demosthercs,
Whose thuuder shook the Philip Of the seas -
With such a pronunciation, with
such grammar, toiling like a galley
slave, to keep the wolf from the door
of his wife and child, it is not strange
if this hapless being was unconscious
of the might which slumbered in his
heart, nor that, situated as he then
was, bis ambition did not soar much
above the mastery of the urgent
problem of hog and hominy; still, it
must not be forgotten, that when a
boy, his mother, good pious woman
that she was, was in the habit of ta-
king him with her to hear the ccle-
brated presbyterian preacher, Davies.
He then conceived dim idea that
he would like to be an orator, but
his subsequent pursuits would midi
cate that he had abandoned all
thoughts of trying Tor distinction in
that line. Indeed, so far was he
from giving any promise or symp-
tom of future greatness, " that every
omen foretold a life at best of medi-
ocrity, if not Of insignihcance."
Patrick Henry then was in the be-
ginning of his career not only in the
depths of actual poverty, but, main
| " through his own Incidence and
neglect, scandalously illiterate. He
had no use for books, but could get
as much solid happiness out of lid-
die or fishing tackle as any man in
the known account of time.
How are we to account for his sub
seouent wonderful rise in the world:
There comes time in the life OF
every man, not corrupt or worthless,
when the triple alternative presents
! itself, work, starve or steal. Patrick
gagab ,ut w nty-seven years of age,