The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-15
TOLD OF GREAT MEN.
Curious Incidents landed Down.
by Eiographors.
uhc Duke or vye:iington's Nap on tho Evo
:. VI Foroo I;attlc-AIoznrt'a Ecmnris-
alike I'recoc TT - Lord Shsstcr-
Geld Dnd HIS Son.


Some Of tho great Generals whose
names aro familiar to us had wonder
sul power Of sleeping fora few moments,
oven on tho battlefield. Tho Duke of
Wellington, just before tho attack on
st. Sebastian, in Spain, found that tho
Sreaohing batteries would not DO ready
90 open tho attack for two hours.
"Thc best thing wo Gun do" no said,
''is to Sleep" and slipping of his horse
into trench he was asleep IL nn in
slant
Napoleon. ct tho very crisis Of tho i'm
portant baltic OF Wagram. ordered up
his reserve, which he never did except
In great emergencies. Confident that
tho movement would 10 carried out and
would insure tho victory, he ordered his
bcar-skin to DO spread on tho ground and
an moment he was In deep sleep. Ito
slept for twenty minutes and his staff
Began to 10 alnrmod, but waking he is
sued further orders without nskinG any
questions. Us IL no Ind not slept
Lord Chesterfield was universally ro-
gardcd ne ono of tho most polished gem
Slemcn in tho English court In tho last
century. Ills manners were faultlcss
and tho grace Of his bearing was inim-
ftable. Eut he gives q comical account
of tho first party he attended. lie was
thoroughly uncomfortable, knowing nci-
thor what to do or say. At length,
growing desperate and feeling that hono-
ching must DO dono, no addressed a
Seautiful lady noar by. md added forco
30 tho question by oncrgctically clasping
Doth hunda.
Madam. don't you find it very warm
to-night"'
II was not promising beginning for
the man who became tho first wit Of his
age
Historians always stop to describe tho
dying of Wolf and Montcalrn, tho two
opposing commanders in the baltic OF
Quebec But their doaths were simply
heroic compared with tho Christian
death OF Stoncwall jackson.
About 1850 on tho day of his death hc
was told that he had two hours TO live,
and no answered fcchly, but firmly:
VERY good; it Is all right"
a few moments before ho died no
cried out in his delirium: "Ordcr A. l..
Hill to prepare for action. Pass tho in
santry to tho front rapidly. Tell Major
iIawks-" thcn stopped. leaving tho SEN
tenco unfinished.
Presently 4 srnlo Of ineffablc sweet
ness sprend itself over his palo face and
shon BIO said quietly and with an cxpros-
sion OF rolicf: "I.ct us cross over tho
river and rest under tho shade of tho
trees" And thon. without pain OF tho
least struggle, his spirit passed.
Probably Mozart was tho greatest
musical genius tho world over saw, and
somc OF tho stories. OF his prccocity
seem almost supernatural. At four he
could retain In memory tho brilliant
solos in tho cOnccrtos which he heard. and
his father began half in sport to give
him lcssons- Tho musical faculty seems
to have been intuitivo In him; for in
learning 10 play be learned to compose
ut tho samo tilnc, his own nature dis
covering TO him some important secrets
In melody, rhy thin, symmetry, and tho
nrt of setting n bass.
To learn nlinuct no required half an
hour. for longer piece an hour, and
having onco mastered them ho played
thom with perfect ncatncss and in exact
tlmc. His progress was SO great that OF
four years OF age, or carlior, he com
posed littlo pieces, which his father
wrote down for him. Later, ''in music
he astonishcd his teacher. not 80 much
by on nvidity for information US by tho
1mposhlility OF telling him any thing
that he did not know before. At tho
age OF ST.; Mozart knew the effect Of
sounds as represented by notes and had
overcome the difficulty of composing un-
aided by an instrument. Having COM
rnenced composition with recourse to
tho clavlcr. his powers in mental music
constantly increased rnd he 500, i,n-
n3incd effects of which tho original
typo existed only in his brain"
Tho Earl OF Chesterfield was called
4ho first gentleman Of his age. 1t was
cardinal point of etiquette with him
never to exhibit i'll temper in company
or bo rcniss i'll courtesy to any guest
But no was sometimes sorcly tried by
che rudo md awkward manners OF his
son, Philip Stanhope. whom he tried in
vain to educate TO gcAtlcmanly habits.
Philip was great glutton and could
mot restrain his appetite oven in com
,pany. On one OCCASION, when his father
had Invited q largo number Of titled
guests. an elegant Entertainment was
provided. One OF tho rare dishes was q
lplatter OF baked goosebcrries, showed
soycr With rich cream. Philip had boon
helped boun,ifully by Lady Chesterfield,
who know his weakness But when a
servant was taking out the dish in clear
ing tho table Philip bcclsoncd to him,
and taking it in his hand began to lap
up grccdily tho rich cream Lord Chcs-
terneld was disgustcd, but without a
change Of face or voice to indicate tho
tempest within said in calm tono to
his servant: