Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-14

through.
In this way he got hold of wornout
physiology and anatomy, and this proved
las interesting to the boy who was destined
to be speaker as the most absorbing work
Of fiction could have been. lie read and
rc-rcad that old textbook on the body TIL
he knew 1T almost by heart from cover TO
icovcr, and then, being guided only by the
descriptions and plates and the conforma-
ton of animals bones, he set about the
task of making a skeleton out Of bits Of
wood Col Henderson has said repeatedly
that the study Of that old book and the
making of that counterfeit humar ram
when u boy has proved of incalcuiable
benefit to him in more than one law suit
In which expert testimony by surgeons
and physicians has been a feature.
when he was fairly in his teens David
was able to lead the binders in the har-
vest field. and the first summer he did
this he took up the study of Rays arith-
metic, going through the entire wsk and
solving all the problems 1T contained.
though giving to it's study only the time
devoted by the other men to rest. Old
timers who remember that obdurate
mathematical work will appreciate this
far more than any youngster. Comstock's
philosophy was faVcaite with David as
a diversion that year, and when it failed
to amuse he sought relaxation in writing
long letters in rhyme TO cousin who liv-
ed in Illinois.
Col IIendersons family includes Mrs.
Henderson, a son and two daughters, one
married. Miss Belle Henderson, tho
younger daughter, lives with her parents
and is we'll known in Washington. Mrs.
Henderson is Il prime favorite here She
was a Miss Fox before marriage and her
father was The principal merchant at West
Union, Ia. She was n student al the Upper
Iowa University, at West Lafayette, at
the same time young Henderson was in
attendance at that institution, but both
were devoted to their books and NV little
of each other while in school Their first
meeting of any consequence took place
just after he had enlisted. at the beginning
of the civil war. The manner of his en-
listmcnt had been so dramatic that eVer'-
one was seeking to know him, and he was
taken by a friend to call on Miss Fox.
The evening of that call was one of the
pleasantest in the young mans life. lie
was then, AZ now, fond of singing. Miss
Fox, too, was musical and they sang to-
gether; the young woman also sang a solo
or two, accompanying herself upon the
guitac. which she fingered with taste and
skill 1t CHANGED that the call was made
the night before Hcndersons departure
for the South, and thus it produced deep
impression upon both, though as yet
neither was conscious of any special at
traction for the other.
They did not meet again until after his
was studying law at Dubuque. Tho young
soldier law-studant had made somewhat of
a ramc for himself in the South, having
been wounded grievously twice and pro-
NOTED to a coloneicy because of conspicu-
Gus bravery under fire, but he was the
same hard working, earnest chap who had
foregono society for study at CppOC Iowa
University. Still he occasionally took a
little recreation. and one evening he at
tended the performance of an opera. the
chief singer being Castle. then in the
height Of MS fame. Henderson went to
the opera with a young man friend, and
shortly after they had been seated young
woman who sat in front of them turned
impulsively on hearing II md y iou's name
mentioned. She WAS fascinatiuCly pretty
and her face seemed familiar. In Il mo-
ment he COMMUNICABLE was the face Of
the Miss Fox whose guitar playing and
singing on the night before his departure
from the little college town had been a
memory to him often on the field. in camp,
on the picket line and on the march in
the South.
+ Between the acts they renewed their ac-
quaintlnce, and not many evenings later
lie called upon her She was in Dubuque
for "A few weeks only, studying piano mu-
sic. she told him, and. being an extremely
conscientious student was practicine eight
hours a day. She favored her guest with
a display of her skin, and it seemed to
him that no one who could play as she
could needed to practice so intermina bly,.
Under the spell of her fascination he de-
cided in mis- own mind that he needed more
recreation and suggested that they should
attend musical entertainments tpgC the +
occasionally. But. though thanking him
gracously and with sincerity. She lcclin-
ed IN the ground that she hadn't the time.
When the caller went from the house lie
was struck by the dmness Of the stars
in the sky though tc most other folk the
Ornament was a glory of stellar brliian-
cy.
It was months before they met again,
one day, just as the young colonel was
stepping aboard steamer for trip up
the river ne was met by Il friend who
asked If he'd be willing to look after the
comfort of a young woman passenger on
the boat. OF course he would, though he
was surprised when he saw that the
young woman was Miss Fox. Their river
trip was pleasant. and from that time on,
for months, they men often. In many
respects, besides the mMsical, their tastes
wcr similar. and il soon became apparent
to the young colonel that there was only
one girl in all the world for him. one day
he told her about it. and she said-well,
whatever she said il was satisfactory TO
the colonel. and they were married in
West Union on March 4, 1856 just after
the colonel had been made internal collec-
tor Of the district, with headquarters at
Dubuque.
The day after the wedding, bride and
bridegroom sailed down the river on a
steamboat to the historic old town they
have called their homo ever since. and
that was all the marriage journey they
took at that time or until years thereat-
tes'.