The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-19
WHAT PERSEVERANCE ACCOM-.
PLISHES.

|
PLISHES.
"Mr. Stanton is too particular" as
serted Harry, as he laid down his school
books on the library table. "He made
me recite the Wreck of the Hesperus'
three times this afternoon, and now he
says that do notspeak it well enough
to suit him. I'm tired OF trying"
"Patience and perseverance conquer
all things said grandfather, as he
shut his book "What fault did Mr..
Stanton find with youp"
"Oh, he said l did not speak distinct
ly enough, nor make good gestures, nor
recite the piece as though | cared much
about it," said Harry. anyhow, l
said it as well as any of the boys would;
any except Frank Colby" he added,
after minutes thought.
"Would he say it betterP" inquired
grandfather.
"Why, of course he would" said
Harry. "Why, he is the best speaker
in the class. MIR. Stanton always
praises him"
"And why are you not the best speak
er in your classP' asked grandfather.
"Could not you do as well as Frank if
you triedP"
81 suppose could" admitted Harry,
"but should have to work hard"
"Wh' tever is worth doing is worth
doing WE'LL" returned grandfather,
''and do not believe you would have
to try so hard to speak well as the man
. did who wrote the orations in this
! book" and grandfather put his hand
on the volume he had Just been reading.
"Who was he?" asked Harry
"Demosthenes,'' replied grandfather,
) 'the greatest orator of Greece"
, "Why, of course, he could speak well
,, if he was great orator." said Harry.
e 'It was not so hard for him as it is for
r ME-"
r r Eyes, indeed, it was" said grand
sather. "He had more difficulties in
d his way than you have. He was sick
n ly boy, and his lungs were weak so that
) his breath was short, and he could not
, get through defamation without
v painting. Then he suffered dreadful
> ly, and some writers say that he lisped
!, so that he could not pronounce the let
d ter r.
II 81 don't see how he could ever have
" expected to become an orator, then, -
e said Harry. 81 should have given ur
s. in despair"
II "Those were not all of his troubles, y
II said grandfather, who always remem
II bered everything about the Greeks 81
v well that Harry once told his sister tha
ID they seemed as though they were som,
" " old neighbors that grandfather used t,
ID know when he was boy. "Demos
:; themes made some very awkward gest
,e ures, and he had bad habit of shrug
ID ging up one of his shoulders while b
= was speaking"
t. t. "Why, what a time he must hav
ds had!' said Harry, "How did he be
m m come an orator."
p p "By persevering," said grandfather
ng "The Greek boys used to mock him an
40 40 call him Batalus, which meant the ei
ly Terminate, but Demosthenes, in spite c
en- his feeble body, was determined to be SUE
ce cessful. So, to strengthen his voice, b
m used to run up hill, and while he wa
painting from this exertion, he would re
cite part ofan Grafton or poem. In storm
weather he would 60 down to the Sc;
m shore of Phalerum and try to declail
- loud enough to be heard above the nois
of the waves. He practiced his gesture
.. before looking-glass so as to CORE,
% % all errors, and he hung a sharp swor
s n9 above the shoulder that he was in IL
m iu habit of Struggling, SO that if he ha,
DO ! 10 l,o No -ol
ho m "What deal of pains he took,'' sa
W IFo Harry.
az no "Well," said grandfather, "Demo
Io themes showed his perseverance in v
another way. There was an unde
eW ground cave that he used for his stuC
ne and in which he sometimes spent ty
ne or three consecutive months practicil
MS day and night in oratory. At SUI
pie times he would shave one side of
en head, so that. even if he felt like ru
1st ming outaway from his studies, he wou
va, be too much ashamedof his appearan
aS to do so"
,rk "What did he study" asked Harr
ter '.He studied Thucydides' history
me great deal,'' said grandfather. 20
us writer says that Demosthenes copi
IN this history eight times over with
he own hands, and another writer sa
ng that he learned it all by heart SO as
nu BIO able to rewrite it from memory VIII
m. a. the manuscript was accidentally
us ;stroyed." )" Ii0i1s1 J@L5 ] 4 csl
az "Well, did Demosthenesy really S,
M Ine ceedp' asked Nellie, from the corr
,cn where she had been so quiet that no o
,,,a had noticed her. gt
"" ."Yes," said grandfather, 'he S,