The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-03-26

ga bittern cries where once Queen Dido laughed:
thistle mods where once the forum poured:
A lizard lifts and listens on a shaft,
Where once of old the colosseum roared."
Anon.
IF BUT one wish of ours could be
granted-yes, if the whole uni
verse were to stand before us and +
promise ful6llment of any desire
of ours, we believe that we would ask
to be another Warren Hastings. And |
who was ~ arren Hastings to be cher
Sshed above all the heroes of profane
hist0ry?~ Oh yes, who was Warren
Hastings? Thomas Carlyle would not
have classed him as hero, in fact, |
history assigns him to no place con-
spicuous for its notabflity. But he
was q hero we believe, at least very
great man.
There are, perhaps, not many per-
sons in this world conversant with the
details of this extraordinary lndiVid-
uars life, and of these there are doubt
less few who would strive to emulate
his career. 1t is not for the ordinary
reasons that we revere his memory.
There are other elements which con-
strain our admiration, which prompt
us to covet the strange vicissitudes of
his existence and perhaps we can only
explain this attitude by recital of his
life as we know il.
Warren Hastings was born a poor
Toy, extremely poor in property right,
bat vastly rich in the mystic aud
greatly blessed by the splendor of an
ancient pedigree. EarIdoms and duke
doms sciotillated in the lustre of his
lineage, and way in Young Aifred's
time-sO Fable has 1.-THE pr0genitor
Of this famous line HOurished as the
Pirate Sea King of the Danes. 1t is
we'll known how the bravery and burn
ing genius of Briton's young king f.
naiiy overcame the inroads of that
terrible master of ruthless ravage.
Wealth was as powerful and as nee
essary to high ends on that day little
over century and three-quarters ago,
when baby Warren stepped into his
new life, as it is today; so nOtwith-
standing the heritage of famous blood
the boy was in real poverty. Often
does our fancy 60 back thru all the
years to that birthday and live with
him again the strange life Fate had
cast before him. Born of parents ex-
tremeiy young and erratic for the re-
sponsibiIities of the domestic relation
he was left in early infancy to the char
ity of his generous-hearted but impov-
erished grandsire, who had years be.
fore been destrained of the last inner.
ttance of the ancient Hastings family
The old mans memories were al
Daylesford, Worcestershire, for there
stood the manor house of his ancestors
and there he fingered, maintaining &
precarious existence, but contented al
dong as he was permitted to have dali.
sight of the property of his fathers.
v arren spent thesfirst eight years o
his life near this enchanted spot, at
tending the village school, to astoun,
the simple residents by his persistenc
and efficiency in learning. And thos
eight years were pleasant ones in tn
memory of after days. Often did b
listen to his grandfather retell the ira
ditions of the family and describe it
ancient hospitality and honor, and tn
boys fancy knew no bounds as he lis
tened repeatedly to the tales he love
to hear so well. 1t was here in tn
very shadow of these manor grounds
SO dear to both the senile man and tn
child, that young Hastings made
sacred vow to reclaim these posses
sions. Yes, he would renew the pre'
tige of the old family and die Hastine
of Dayiesford. 1t was romanti
hope, but some day by and by b
would return from consecrated c;
reer to redeem and extend the ancieI
honor of his ancestors.
At the end Of these eight years Wa
ren's Uncle Howard decided to a
sumo guardianship of the boy and Fl
vor his inclinations with liberal e'
ucation. We will pass this period (