The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-30
TIKI NEER-DO-WEELS.
MeN OF GENIUS WHO WERE At
FIRST UNDERRATeD.

The opinions of friends and neighbors
as to mans powers are rarely OF any
value Sometimes they ridienlously over
rate him and push some donkey forward
into ii conspicuous position where the
length of his ears, as defined against the
Background of the horizon, may be nc
curately and publicly ascertained But
more frequently--and especially in the
case of man of real genius-thcy are
inclined to undervaue one whom they
have come 10 regard as one Of themselves
Montaigne tells us in his Essays"
that his attempt TO become an author
VAS laughed at in his own presence. and,
even after ho had won his fame he found
that ''at home he was Obliged to pur
chase printers, while at distance print
ers purchased him" Balzacs family were
sarcastically indignant at his presuming
10 believe that he could write. and visited
three failures with the usual eXasperat
ing Il told YOU So When Swift intro
dnced Parnell to Lord Bollngbroke and to
the world he made this entry in the jour
nal 1t is pleasant TO see one who hardly
passes for anything in Ireland make his
way here with little friendly forward
lng Daniel Webster in the very height
Of his fame, just after his famous Bunker
llill speech took run down TO his native
village. which he had not visited in so
many years that lac was not recognized
by his former cronies Accosting mn cid
friend of the Websters, he gradually,
after due discussion of the weather and
the crops. turned the conversation upon
his own family. Thereupon his compan
ion burst ont into enthusiastic encomiums
upon the virtues and abilities Of Daniels
elder brother Ebenezer. who had died
Young. and whose early death he ittingly
deplored Daniel slipped in modest
query as to whether there was not a
brother named Dan. He never was
much account, said tho old gentleman.
with a shake Of his head Il believe he
went to Boston and became some kind Of
lawyer or mother"
Andersen has allegorzed his own for
lorn and unappreciated youth in the story
Of the Ugly Duckling" which turned out
10 be swan This story is favorlte
with Bismarck. IL was an ugly duckling
myself. " he once told friend; my poor
old mother never would believe that there
was any good in me- Isaac Barrow's
parents conceived so mean an opinion of
his temper and parts when he was boy
at the Charter House school that his
father used to say if it pleased God to
take away from him any Of his children
it might be Isaac. the least promising
Adam Clarke's father was equally uncom
plimcntary TO his own flesh and blood
when he proclaimed his son to be IA
grieyous Ounce" Sheridan's mother pre-
scented him TO a new tutor as IAN incor
riglble Ounce.
Poe at West Point was laughing stock
to his schoolmates Byron at Harrow
was ia no wise distinguished above his
fellows. Napoleon and Wellington in their
school days wore diot,ng uisied only Tor
dullness. The mother Of the latter must
be- added to our list Of complimentary
parents Arthur was good for nothing.
She thought. save as food for powder
Robert Gives family were thoroughly
Disguised with him by the time ne was
- years old. his reputation for stupidity
being then only equaled by his reputa
ton Tor general wickedness, and, gladly
accepting an Indian clerkship for him,
thcy shipped him off to Madras. Ito make
fortune or die of yellow fever "sGold
smith. up 10 the time Of tho publication
Of The Traveller. was looked upon as an
IDIOT bv almost all who knew him. After
ward he was dubbed an inspired idiot
Burns was duh boy, good only at ath
lctic exercises Sir Humphrey Dayy
was by no means esteemed bril-
liant boy While he was with ne,
saws his teacher. David Gilbert. i
could not discern the faculties by which
he was so much distinguished And be
sure that the good burghers of Stratford
on-Ayon saw nothing in VIII Shakespeare,
the butchers boy but a wild, harum
scarum scatter brain, whose only chances
of future elevation lay in the chance open
to all rogucs on the gallows. Indeed. the
Rev Mr. -. who was pastor in the
poets birthplace in 1913, says there was
another butchers boy i'm the same town
who was deemed moro than an equal OF
Master Shakespeare in parts This prod.
ICY won the love of tho gods, and died
young.
Scott tells NJ IN ms Diary thdt lor
time he was moderated by most Of his
companions, though subsequently getting
forward and held a bold and clever iel
low, contrary TO the opinion OF all who
thought him a mere dreamer. "Dunceh e
is and Ounce lie will remain. was the
sentence passed upon him by Professor
Dalzell at the Edinburgh university Tho
coldncss Of his critical friends at the out
set Of life had almost deferred him from
poetical composition. as It aitcrward
caused him TO throw aside the unfinished
manuscript of "NNayerley' TO n.older
away for eight years in his desk The
first sketch of his maiden effort at origi-
nal verse. The Lay Of the Last Min
strel, hc read over one evening after din
ner to his friends Erskne and Crouneston
They listened with just as much apparent
attention as the laws OF courtesy abso-
lutely demanded. smoked their cigars.
passed the clarct. hemmed, drew sigh
If relief at the end of the first canto, and
returned without a word Of comment 10
the thread Of conversation which Scott
had broken into with his cold dash OF pc
etry. He interpreted their Silence rs I'M
uttered condemnation, and threw the
.ko,,o, o-f1o ip dicrucf. nar-.Vls IL until