The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-05

was that afternoon in Msy, and how swiftly
the small feet flew over it. Was the sky
ever go blue before? Was the grass ever SO
green? How the robins sans in the tree
tops! Let us hope the apple blossoms came
early that year, deliRhting him with their
pink and white beauty and their delicious
fragrance even while he would not lolter.
INT I question if he needed them, with
this precious scrap of paper In his small
pocket, Doubtless the little saH~b7oTnea
hands took it out more then once, and IN
falaad it with r~everent care, to make sure
that il indeed said that he, Noahdiah Hill,
could spell as well as any lad of his age IN
Columbia coanty, which was his world! 1t
Is niessant. too. to believe he was sure OF
his mothers sympathy IN that supreme
hour. and that he reveled III advance IN the
praises and csresses he was certain TO re-
ceive. -
For it was from his mother that the boy
Inherited his scholarly tastes and habits.
She was what her neighbors called "a
great reader;'' and children FROM far and
near swarmed about her, as bees about
honey, charmed by the stories she was ever
that must be gratiied even at the sacrifice
Of what most of the sons and daughters of
Adam regard as the more essential needs,
seems to nave been q CHARACTERISTIC OF her
family. So we may know beyond q per
adventure that to her love and PRIDE we
" the preservation of Master Johnson's
certificate, which after threescore and nine
years attasts the good spelling Of her little
son.
To 90 to college, and some time to be-
come, perhaps,-oh, wonderous tnought!-
a professor of languages or mathematics,
was the dream of the boy from his earliest
ehi..dhnnd How or why his desire was
thwarted the chroniclsr saith rot. We
only know that his father and mother died,
and that the elder brother, who was the
head of the family, had no sympathy with
his aspirations. Probably there was lack
of money; and it ia quite possible hat the
unworldlinsss of the younger boy seemed
but idle folly in the eyes of the elder, who
was bearing tbs burden and the heat OF the
day, For we are told that the young Noa-
diah would creep away to a haymow, and
there read and study all day long. BE that
as it may, when the boy grew older a coun-
try ''stere" became a part OF the family
possessions, and he was placed III charge
of it.
1t is to be feared he was not a born sales
man. The fewer customers he had, the bet
ter he liked it; for did not customers sadly
interfere with reading2 Like Agasslz, he
could not afford to make money. A great
table stood in the middle of the store, laden
with books and papers. Ii a yard OF calico
or a gallon of molasses was called for, Noa-
diah would attend to the cry, and then lily
back to his beloved study as If life Itself
were at stake. At this time he took a few
lessons in French, and also fell IN with a
German, who grew to be his fast friend.
The two subscribed for a German news
paper, and Noadiah's study of languages
began.
When he was about thirty. he, in partner
ship with one of his brothers, bought a
farm in Sodus, Wayne county, New York,
which was then considered as in the wild
west, There he lived twenty four years.
In 1869, having sold the farm, he returnec
to North Chatham, the place OF his birth
and built a house, which proved to be &
white elephant, if not a bette nolre. Inc
builder was limited to q certain moderate
cost, but. after the manner OF builders, he
contrived to make the sum total amount &c
more than double the estimate. The white
elephant swallowed his masters small for
tune, %crippling him financially for the rest
of his days. After this Noadiah did little
actual business beyond teaching a few term:
in the village school. But he was convers.
ant with legal forms, and was often callee
upon to draw wills and add codlclls, and tc
help his country %neighbors in divers mat
tiers of a kindred nature.
When he was IS years old he married
His wife survives him.. They had no chill
dren. He died July g, 1889.
A short and simple story, hardly wortl
the telling if this were all. But it is no
all. This shy. reticent man, who was Otter
misunderstood and sometimes undervalued
who had no friendships with scholars, 81
called, and whose whole life lacked tn
timulus of literary associations. had mad
himself master of nifty languages ana dla
lects. Entirely self-taught, he was familla
with the best literature of all times and al
races. Blessed with a wonderful memory
he wrote, 81 never have had to look twic
at the meaning of q word"
After his death, IN one of the volume
of his small but valuable library was foun'
this memorandum
II nave read the Old and New Testamen
in Hebrew ana Arabic, the Pentateuch i
Craldee, the Psalms in Syriac, and a larg
part of the Old Testament in Persian.
have read the New Testament in ancier
and modern Greek, in Dutch, in Spanist
in Tartar. in sHindustani and Armnidar
the gospels and acts in Turkish, and poi
lions of the New Testament in Anglo
Saxon. l have read Schalch's Arabic Sele,
tons. Borhan Ed DIM Enchiridion Stud
osi. Abb Falebi's Proverbs, Aribica, Kirsch
Chrestomathiam Arabicum, Maured Allati
fet in Arabic, De Braine's Course d
Langue Arabe, Lokman's Fables in Arabic
I have read in Greek all of Homer, Hesoit
Pindar, Aristophanes, Anacreon, Sophocle
E%uripides, Aschyius, IhucNdides, Hero
dotus. most of Patio, portions of Lucia
md Plutarch, Aristotle's Rhetoric an
Ethics, Euripides' Tragedies, Xenophon'
Anabasis and Memorabilia, Arrian's re
maica.
He was no mere %linRuist. He was we
versed in political history, and was FAM
lar with the rise and fall of nations.
difficult problem in mathematios delighte
him, and he was q botanist of no mean OF
der. He was we'll informed in all dire,
tions.' says one who knew him well. 81
yon wanted information on any subject, L
would tell you where to find it, or poiI
you to chapter and verse;"
/ did not know this old man, this rar
unworldly nature that gathered to itself t
If by instinct whatsoever was best wort
having and knowing. l heard Of him onl