Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-04-25
A STORY OF WEBSTER
ONE OCCASION WHEN DANIEL WAS
DEEPLY HUmlIIATED.

An fpcidest which shocked and Sur
prtS%d Him Into Tears - The Admf-
ration. the Loyalty and the Gener-
osity OF His Circle of Friends.
The following incident I'm the life OF
Daniel Webster was related to the
writer 10y the late Joshua Seward:
Mr.. Seward came TO Woburn from
Boston In the early seventies and
bought n farm, where he lived until
his death In 1886. He was a native OF
the New Hampshire Peace City" from
which place he came TO Boston in early
manhood and later engaged In the liv-
cry business or School street. He was
n genial. social. active young man, and
In short time many OF the business
and professional men OF the city were
his friends and patrons. Daniel Web
ster, then I'm the fullness OF his mas
terly manhood. was his particular
friend and most favored patron. One
year Webster early engaged to deliver
the Fourth OF July grafton In the city.
public procession was then an Inn
portant feature Of the celebration, and
the orator OF the day was the chief
person OF distinction I'm the parade. In
those days there were no four wheeled
vehicles for convenience or for pleas
ure. A chaIse was the proper carriage
for gentlemen to use. Webster was
popular and proud as popular. He saw
no chaise ia the city as good as he de-
sired TO appear I'm on that important
occasion. and therefore he ordered one
% H.. -
maker Of the city Sargent. I think IL
was). TO be ready for use on that day
In the morning OF the Fourth he APP
peared at Stewards stable Office and
requested Seward TO go TO the carriage
shop and get the chaise he had ordered.
Seward harnesSed horse and went TO
the carriage shop rs directed and told
the proprietor he had come for Mr.
Webster's Chaise. The proprietor I'm
firm and measured tones that could
not be misunderstood asked. Did Mr..
Webster send the money TO pay for the
CHASER"
In relating this 10 me Seward said:
II was never 50 astonished i'm my lifei
should have been less surprised if he
had raised his fist and knocked me
down. l had no thought that there was
n man living who had ever heard OF
the great Webster. the godlike Daniel,
who would or who could have denied
him any request II was possible to
grant. l could only say. He sent no
money by me- Then said the pro-
prietor tell him he can have the chaiSe
when he sends the money 10 pay for IL
and not till then " Seward said he
was never i'm such n dilemma in all his
life. He could not go back and tell that
great man. whom he adored, that he
could not have the chaise till he paid
for il. And yet he must 20 back and
tell him something. But what could he
tell him? Finally. after much thought
and study IL occurred TO him that he
had n new chaise which he would offer
TO Webster and tell him that the var
nish on the one he had ordered was not
yet hard and that IL would be liable to
injure If taken out I'm the heat and dust
OF that public day. Webster met Sew
ard at the door when he returned. and
before Webster could ask a question
Seward was telling him the story he
had invented on the way home Web
ster made no reply. but accepted Sew
ards statement as true and rode in his
chaiSe that day.
About 4 week later Webster came
again and said TO Seward, Il think the
varnish on that chaise is hard now,
and you may 80 down and get it."
Seward said; with Il heavy heart l
harnesSed a horse and went again to
the shop. ! knew l should not get the
chaise. and / was not disappointed. In
the same manner l was asked the same
question as before. l could not invent
another story that would be credible
and was therefore compelled to go
back and tell him the truth" Webster
was impatiently awaiting Stewards re
turn. and when In hailing distance he
called TO Seward: where is the
chaisc? What Is the troublef" Seward
approached him more closely and in
tones SO low that no one could over
hear him replied. He told me TO tell
you that you could have the chaise
when You sent the money 10 pay for It
and not before" Webster stood silent
an instant and then with voice trem-
bling with emotion exclaimed, My
God. Joshua. did he say thatT' and
sank into 2 nearby chair and cried as
would deeply aggrieved child OF six
| summers.
Ii is we'll known that Webster would
incur debt. apparently with no thought
thai there were two parties 10 Il con-
| tract, creditor and debtor. and
that their moral obligations were CO.
equal. Consequently his creditors so
multiplied and his Indebtedness so in
creased as 10 interfere with his po-
| litical plans, if not, indeed. threaten his
| political future. At this time his
friends came to his aid and. il is said,
raised the sum of $4,000 10 cancel his
Indebtedness and relieve him from the
| further annoyance and pressure of his
creditors When we realize that $40,-
GOO was larger sum to raise then for
any purpose than would be 100000
today we have some measure of the
admiration and the loyalty Of his
friends.-H. c. Hall in Boston Tran
script
Just SO.