Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-09
ANOTHER WEBSTER LETTER
unpublished Playful EpIstIe written
by the Great Daniel i'm His
Early Days.


The Boston Transcript reproduces two
heretofore unpublished letters of Daniel
Webster. one Of which. under date Of No
vember 30. 1904, was written to Thomas w.
Thompson, Esq, Salisbury, N. H.. and adj
dressed in Websters own youthful hand
writing This was before the day OF en-
velopes or postage stamps, and the letter
contains the name of the person addressed
only on its outer side The other, de-
cdedly playful letter, was written earlier
the same year and addressed to Miss Ellen
Thompson Of Newburyport.
After Daniel webster's graduation from
college In 1901 he studied in the law Office
Of Mr.. Thompson. but needing funds he In
terrupted this study to teach in the aca-
denny at Fryeburg. Me-, for some months.
He did not go to Boston to study for ad-
mission to the bar till 1904, when he left
Salisbury "for the last time" 1. e., as a
place of residence. He refers in the play
full letter to this fact; and the letter writ
ten in 1904 Ito Mr.. Thompson OF Salisbury.
asking for certificate, etc, shows that
in this sense he had then left Salisbury for
the last time" This indicates that the two
letters were written about the same time,
that is, one in July and the other In No
vember of the same year. Mr.. Webster
was not married until four years later.
These letters came into the possession of
Mr.. Parker Noyes, whose first wife was
Miss Ellen Thompson. to whom the more
playful epistle was addressed Mr.. Moves.
owing to Ill health, retired early in life
from the practice of law to his farm in
Franklin, N. H, where for many years he
was the neighbor. as well as the friend.
of Mr.. Webster. whose farm in Franklin
is now a state orphanage The letters
have come down in the family of Mr..
Noyes, and are now in the possession OF a
grand niece of his second wife. Miss Har-
riet McEwen Kimball. who now resides
in Portsmouth, N. H.
The letter to Miss Thompson reads:
Ellen: July l'n'
Do you think you have charity enough
to forgive me for OBTAINING the enclosed
What do YOU think has been the cause of
this? Negligence or accident? or was II
cone on purpose to give me an opportunity
your own conjecture-I can't explain.
Wen, Ellen, am free, single. united
man again. have passed thro the whole
whole, IT is not so bad as one would ex-
pect. Am now a widower, in weeds,-As
soon 80 pn;v my %9uEning Is of am resolved
me married again-a good deal stronger. /
left p. in good health & fine spirits-she
did not appear to look round on r. A.
as her abiding place At Fryeburg was
told by such as / suppose knew that
1t was quite certain that she was to be
an inhabitant of that village.
Tomorrow l leave here for Boston, &
place of his nativity without some little
consider myself as leaving Salisbury for
the last time. One does not quit the
regret; however unpleasant, 1t is still
homes home though there should be a
thousand disagreeable things about II, has
a strong hold on the heart. The regret
which l feel this removal is not a
little heightened by the consideration that
1t puts 1t more out OF my power to Guilt
yate the acquaintance of the Newbury
p. folks. l always wish to nurture every
little plant of friendship which offers. In
time to produce pleasant fruit But tits
the misfortune of our kind, often to be
removed from the opportunity of cherish
ing a begun & much valued acquaintance.
I never think of this allotment of human
nature without signing. Mr.. & Mrs. Thomp-
son & children are all in good health.
There is nobody else here whom you are
concerned to know about. II there should
be such a person, believe he is very well.
Adieu-
Why will not Mabel & Ellen consider as
a friend d. WEBSTER:
P. S. When you write to P. give her the
love of a divorced husband.