The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-30

his stint was finished, he would do ex-
ira work to earn money with which to
purchase books. When thirteen years
old his father departed this life, and
the burden of the farm fell upon his
young shoulders. He was equal to
the responsibility, doing his best to
aid his noble mother in her straight
ened circumstances; thus he labored
on till he was twenty years of age,
having accumulated quite little
sum for his mother. The neighbors
and friends had not recognized, as
yet, anything in him as foreboding
brilliant and successful career; they
certainly had not discovered any dia-
mond in rough setting.
On reaching his majority he
CHANGED to become acquainted with a
classical teacher who encouraged him
to prepare himself for college under
his tuition, and in the brief time of
six months he mastered enough Latin
and Greek to enable him to enter the
Sophomore class in Brown University.
He had pursued his mathematics by
himself; he made long days in his
study, frequently combining himself
eighteen hours out of twentyfour
to his books. Now it began to dawn
upon his acquaintance, that Horace
was really possessed of genius and
sterling natural ability. AS they
scanned him somewhat carefully,
they saw that he had large brain, a
good temperament, and a tall, fine
figure, though his health was not so
firm as they could wish.
OF course, as he entered the univer-
sity, he lacked general culture, such
as many other students had, COM
ing from refined society; still his
spirit was right and his aim high.
In college he was punctilious as to
his duties; he did his very best and
before his junior year was passed,
he was leading his class and con-
tinued to do so during his college
course, bearing off the highest hon.
ors from his Alma Mater.
His moral nature controlled his
body and mind, and accordingly, he
left college with no bad habits, car
rying with him the esteem of profess
sors and classmates.
He worked his way by teaching
school winters and using his hands
during vacations. Soon after leaving
college he entered the law school at
Litchfeld, Conn, having decided
upon making jurisprudence his life
calling. Already he had shown him
self gifted as logician and public
speaker. He won new laurels in
this school, and having completed
his law course, he settled in Dudley,
Mass, where he practiced fourteen
years, having many suits and gaining
four-ffths of his cases. He never
allowed himself to be engaged in
defense which he did not believe to
be right.
From Dudley he moved to Boston,
to continue his practice. Here he
was repeatedly sent to the Legisla-
ture and then to the State Senate.
During this service he greatly inter-
ested himself in legislating for pub
lie schools. asylums and reform
movements. His speeches in both
branches of the Legislature pub
lished him far and wide as powerful
crater, fine rhetorician and pro-
found reasoner. J. G. Whittier, DIR.
S. G. Howe, Charles Sumner, Dora
thea Dix, Wendell Phillips, Theodore
Parker and throngs of other notables
were drawn to him because of his
culture, nobility, and philanthropy.
He was now counted as one of the
ablest sons of Massachusetts, and as
vacancy was made in Congress by the
death of John Quincy Adams, he was
elected to fill his place where he soon
made his influence and power felt in
declaring for the right against the
wrong. AS the Fugitive Slave bill
came up, he tried his oratorical blade
with that of Daniel Webster; he came
out of the heated contest triumphant.
AS his term was completed an effort
was made to return him to the SEN
ate, but he declined being re elected,
and was soon after chosen secretary of
the Board of Education, which really
placed him in charge of educational
affairs of Massachusetts,.
Not long after entering upon this
work, at his own expense he made
visit to Europe for the purpose of ex-
aiming its schools and ascertaining
the status of education in its different
countries. The reports which he
gave of the schools in Scotland, Eng
land France. Germany and SWitZer-