Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-10-02
AN INCIDENT OF 1S4O.
4 LETTER THAT BROUGHT TEARS TO THE
EYES OF DANIEL WEBSTER.

Among the pleasing incidents Of the log
cabin campaign of 1910, was one thus des-
cribed by Representative Halsted, of New
Jersey, says Bens Perley Poore: At the re-
cent Whig convention held at Worcester
Mass, the lady of Honest John Davis, the
present Senator from that State, sent word
to the committee of arrangements that she
had nine beds, in which she could accommo-
date nine Whig delegates, or, if they were
good-natured men, eighteen; and she invi-
ted forty or fifty Of the delegates to dine
with her. Having made all preparations
for her invited guests, she repaired to the
convention to hearthe Whig orators. After
the speaking was over, she hurried home
for the purpose of receiving her expected
company but she had scarcely reached her
house before the sound of martial music sa-
luted her ear. She approached the window,
and there she saw drawn up before her door
band of $50 or 200 men, who sent depu-
tation to her to saw that they would do them
selves the honor of taking dinner with her.
At this unexpected annunciatiOn her Wo-
mans heart at first sank within her, but i'm
mediately the good, old genuine Whig spir-
it, which is salwayS equal to any emergency,
rallied, and by its recuperative energy at
once restored her to her Wonted comp0sure.
And what do you think she said? "Gen-
tlemen," said she, "the string of my door is
never pulled in. You are welcome to par
take with me my log cabin fare. Walk in,
gentlemen" They did walk in, and she at
once set about enlargng her tables and re-
pleniShing her board with provisions for
this occasion of unexpected guests; and with
that admirable management which is char
acteristic of Yankee as we'll as Jersey mat
rOnS, she was soon able to accommodate the
whole of her guests, expected and uneX-
pected, for they ate and were filled. How
many baskets of fragments there were lettl
did not learn, but suppose at least enough
to supply all the poor in the neighborhood
for a week to come. In her letter to her hus-
band this Bay State Whig matron said,
"that the wine and water, beer and hard
cider, flowed in streams, and the way that
Honest John Davis wife's cakes disappear
ed was q caution" When Honest John re-
ceived this letter, describing in those true
and graphic colors which a woman's pen
can alone give to such scene, he was sitting
in the Senate chamber, and as he read 1t,
"the big round tears coursed one another
down his manly cheek :" and as he wiped
them away he said to himself: "What fool
I am to be so affected" After he had pc
rused the letter he handed it to Mr.. Webster,
saying: "There, Webster, you say you take
pleasure in reading my Wife's letters read
that" Webster took the letter, and, as he
read, Honest John watched the workings Of
gistening in his large black eye, and then
rolling down the bronZed cheek of this in
tellectual giant, and Honest John said to
himself: "Well, Pm not SO great a fool,
neither" When Webster had finished
reading he drew a long breath, grasped the
hand Of Honest John, and said "Sir, it is
the finest letter ever read in my life"