Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-15

/ the night, he would need no further
preparation for the delivery of splendid
Grafton than TO run his fingers through
his curling locks. But when his biogra-
! ply was published, it appeared that he
was one of the most diligent and labori-
| Gus of students, and that his great
| speeches were prepared with infinite
! care.
When Daniel Webster made his cele-
brated reply in the senate to Hayne of
| South Carolina on notification, with
only single day for specInl preparation,
| the feat was deemed marvellous. 1t has
often been referred to as striking evil
dence of Webster s readiness for a great
emergency. Years ago, the late John
'Whipple, an eminent lawyer of Provi-
dence, and warm personal friend of
Webster, told me this story concerning
that speech:
81 asked Mr. Webster said Mr..
Whipple, las we were taking a walk at
an early hour, before breakfast, on the
beach at Newport, how it was possible
for him to present so elaborate and COM
plete an argument on SO short notice IN
reply TO MIR. Hayne.
"On so short notice?'' exclaimed Mr..
Webster. why, 1 had been many
years preparing the substance of that
speech. When l was a young lawyer
with plenty of leisure, 1 busted myself
with raising every question, which L
thought could be raised, concerning the
Interpretation of the constitution, aud
with attempts to settle those questions.
Among these was the point made now
by South Carolina and by Mr.. Hayne.
That subject has always been kept in
mind by me. When the occasion
arose for discussing it, was
ready with the preparation of
years. -
Read the life OF Louis Agassiz, who
seemed to be one of the readiest of men
IN scientific discourse. His utterance
was so full and fluent that it seemed to
come without effort. But tho student of
his biography will see that he worked
with such untiring devotion that his
great master, Cuvier, had to warn him
that "work kills if no time is taken for
rest.
The popular idea of Gen. Sheridan is
that he won his victories by mere dash.
But read what Grant says of him, and
what the officers on his staff say of him,
and it will be seen that his dash succeed
ed because he had spared no pains III pre-
pairing for his attacks.
DR.. Wayland used to quote a saying
which he has picked up somewhere:
"Nothing will stand up against days
work Toll, persistent, continuous I'M
Pickering toll, is the price that must |
generally be paid for marked INTELLECT |
tual success. The taste and capacity for |
hard work, with fair talent, is better |
guarantee os ultimate success than great |
briIllancy of mind without industry.
These considerations explain in part why
many q man who in college has high
reputation among his fellows for signal
ability, fails to justify it by his sLbse-
quent achievements, while others, who
were not much praised in their college
days, finally 90 to the front. These last
had the habit of continuous work. OF
course, the combination of brilliant gifts
and persistent industry wins the very
highest success. The purpose of this
paper is to warn the young men of bril-
liant gifts against the grand mistake of
trusting to them alone for their achieve
ments. Work, hard, constant work
must be accepted as the condition of &C.
complishing much in the fierce compe-
titions of modern life.