The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-16
Some Infant Prodioies.

ordS OF history or fame select a great
man. and We are Immediately referred 10
instances of precocity in his infancy or
childhood. which were the precursors OF
his future celebrity or the gulde-post
which pointed to his genius. There have,
no doubt, been many infant prodigies,
says the London Standard. and there have
been some who have been palmed of as
such who have no claim whatever to the
distinction Miss Ninetta Crummles was
described by her father, Mr.. Vincent
Crummles-of theatrical fame-as the in
FAINT phenomenon. whose talent was too
great for words, and who must be seen
to be ever so family appreciated MISS
Crumnles was rather an elderly infant.
Her father confessed to Nicholas Nickle-
by that she was turned ten, but this was
rather too modest an estimate. for her
age had remained stationary for several
years.
There are however, many well authenu-
Gated instances of youthful precocitS
which may be held to have presaged sub
sequent greatness. Take the case oil
William Pitt His genius asserted itself
with an almost unexampled quickness-
When he was but twelve years of age. his
mother wrote of him, The fineness OF
Williams mind makes him enjoy with the
greatest pleasure what would be above
the reach of any other creature OF his
small age" Being of an extremely deli
cate constitution, it was deemed inadVis-
able to send him 10 a public school, and
his education was conducted privately at
home When he went up to Cambridge
in 1773 his knowledge of the classics is
stated to have surprised veteran critics,
although his acquaintance with modern
literature was of the most superficial
character. At twenty-three years OF age
he was made Chancellor OF the EXche-
quer, and a year later First Lord of the
Treasury. Thus. at about twenty-five
years of age, he became the most power
full subject in England, and for many
years held his great position as the ruler
of cabinets. the favorite of the sove-
reign, the hero of parliament, and the
idol of the nation.
Another statesman and politician who
gave early Indication of the talents which
were to gain him such distinction later on
was Macaulay. AS child he had a con-
tempt for toys, a passion for books. and
the vocabulary of a pedagogue. At the
mature age of four years he was on a
visit 10 Lady Waldegrave at Strawberry
HILL where servant split some hot cof-
fee over his legs. When, after a while
the hostess asked the little fellow how
he was feeling. he replied with great
dignity. Thank you, madam, the agony
has abated." 1t was about this time that
a maid had thrown away as rubbish GER
tain oyster-shells which he had used to
mark as his own a little plot of ground
at the back of his fathers house at
Chaplain. Having discovered the sacri-
lege, Macaulay at once repaired to the
drawing-room. where his mother was en-
tertaining some guests and walking into
the circle, somewhat started the visitors
by saying Cursed be Sally: for IL is
written. Cursed is he that removeth his
neighbours landmark When, as a very
small boy, he was about to be sent to
school, his mother told him that for the
future he would have TO learn 10 study
without the solace of bread and butter
The reply was prompt, but pompous.
Yes, mamma, industry shall be my bread
and attention my butter" When he was
barely seven, Macaulay showed mis- bent
for history studies by writing a compen-
dunn of Universal History, which his
mother stated, gave a tolerably conect-
ed view of the leading events from the
creation down to the authors own time.
In poetry Macaulay was equally ambitious
in his childhood days, and his whole
youth was full of examples of the clever
statesman, historian. poet, critic, and or
ator.
To turn for a moment from politics to
literature, pure and simple. We get the
name of Samuel Johnson. who. as a boy
Leslie stephen tells us, was regarded as
something of an infant prodigy. His
great powers Of memory. characteristic
of a mind singularly retentive of all i'm
pressions. were early developed. He seem
ed to learn by intuition His early pow
ers were thought to be traceable TO the
following epitaph, which he was said to
have composed at the age Of three
Here lies good master duck
Whom Samuel Johnson trod on:
If it had lived. it had been good luck,
For then we had had an odd one"
1t does not detract from the Doctors
reputation when the confession j. made
that the verses were not his, but his faith
er's. and that the tokens he gave OF his
future eminence were much more strik-
ing than dOggerel of this kind.
These examples pale into insignihcance
before some others that can be cited. In
a German work published at Lubbock I'm
Gottingen, the most wonderful case Of
precocity ever heard of is related Chris
tian Henry Heinksen. who was born at
first year of his age had committed 10
memory and could recite the principal
facts contained in the five books Of Mo-
ses. with d number of verses on the Gre
alton. In his fourteenth month. so we are
assured. he knew all the history Of the
Bible; in his thirtieth month, the history
of the nations Of antiquity. geography.
anatomy. the use of maps, and nearly s.
600 Latin words before the end Of the
third year. the history Of Denmark and
the geneaiogy Of the crowned heads OF
Europe In his fourth year he acquired
the doctrine Of divinity. with the proofs
from the Bible. ecclesiastical history. the
institutions. 200 hymns. with their tunes
80 psalms, entire chapters Of the Old ard
New Testaments, 100 verses and sen
fences from the ancient Latin classics al
most the whole 'Orbis Pic;us OF Comment
Us. from which he had derived all his
knowledge OF the Latin tongue. arithme-
tic, and the history OF the European en-
pires and kingdoms He spoke Of Ger
man, Latin. French. and Low Dutch. and
was exceedingly Eood-natured and we'll
behaved. but Of a tender and delicate con
stitution. He was celebrated ali over Eu-
rope under the name Of the Learned child
Of Lubbock. and died June =. f7Z5. aged
four years. four months. twenty days
and tweuty-one hours. after having dis
played the most amazing proofs % intel
lectual talent" one almost tremoles 20
think what would have happened had this
remarkable child reached the age u man
hood.
Hungary can lay claim 70 prodigy IN
sigisnund Maxim ". Otto won P-auS.
who was born AZ lyman IT. Isl. who gas
a scholar a. two years u age. a cs-e-
hraress Hnguist AT three years and three
quarters. and. as II ;h!s were not enough
became at the same time az accomplish