Imperial Valley press and the Imperial press., 1906-06-02
A STORY OF WEBSTER
bNE OCCASION WHEN DANIEL was
 DEEPLY HUMlLlATEo.

EmNnms thG LoNMANy anu Ane GEmeE~
 osity Of His circle of Friends.
 The following incident in the life of Daniel Webster was related to the writer by the late Joshua Seward:
 MT. Seward came to woburn from Boston in the early seventies and bought a farm, where he lived until bis death in 1885. He was native of the New Hampshire Peace City" from which place he came to Boston in early manhood and later engaged in the liv Sry. business off School street He was } genial, social, active young man, and ln 8 short time many of the business and professional men of the city were his friends and patrons. Daniel Web Bter, then in 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 oration in the city.
 A public procession was then an i'm pOrtant feature of the celebration and the orator of the day was the chief person of distinction in 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 in the city as good as he de sired to appear in on that important occasion, and therefore he ordered one to be built by the principal carriage maker of the city Sargent, l think 1t was), to be ready for use on that day. In the morning of the Fourth he ap- peared at Stewards stable office and requested Seward to go to the carriage shop and get the chaise he had ordered. Seward haTnessed a horse and went to the carriage shop as directed and told the proprietor he had come for MT. Webster's chaise. The proprietor tn firm and measured tones that could not be misunderstood asked, Did MT. Webster send the money to pay for the chaise?"
 In relating this to me Seward said: 'T was never so astonished in my life! I should have been less surprised if he had raised his fist and knocked me down. had no thought that there was a man living who had ever heard of the great Webster, the godlike Daniel, who would or who could have denied him any request it was possible to grant I 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 to pay for 1t and not till then. Seward said he was never in such 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 it. And yet he must go back and tell him something. But what could he f tell him? Finally, after much thought and study it occurred to him that he had a 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 it would be liable to injure if taken out in the heat and dust of that public day. Webster met Sew ard at the door when he returned, and before Webster could ask q 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 a week later Webster came again and said to Seward, 'I think the varnish on that chaise Is hard now, and you may go down and get it." Seward said: With heavy heart l harnessed a horse and went again to the shop. I knew I should not get the chaise, and was not disappointed. In the same manner was asked the same question as before. I 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 chaise? What Is the trOubleT 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 to pay for 1t and not befOre.", Webster stood silent an instant and then with voice trem- bling with emotion exclaimed, My God, Joshua, did he say that" and aanLy into o naarhv Ob0ir and cried aa