University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-06-05

Henry Watterson, Prentice's success
sor to the editorial chair of the Louis
|ville Courier-Journal, says of him:
|"From 1880 to 1861, the influence OF
Prentice was perhaps greater than
that of any political writer who ever
lived"
The youthful life of Prentice is as
remarkable as his later years. He was
born in an humble farmhouse in Pres.
ton township, in Connecticut. Decem.
ber Is, 1902. His parents were poor.
He started TO country school when
he was years old but was forced to
leave school after four years 10 help
his father on the farm. His education
did not stop when he quit school. He
had managed TO get a small library
and the books in this library he read
and reread again and again
Il is said that he completed the
study of Virgil, Horace, SalIust, Cice-
ro, Xenophon. the Greek Testament,
six books of Homer, the Greek MinOra,
most OF the Greek MajOra and other
works within six months after his first
introduction to an English grammar"
And of his wonderful retentive men,
Ory, it is said that he recited the
Twelfth Book of the Aeneid after a
single lesson. Discounting about half
of this as false. there is yet left proof
that Prentice was a remarkable stu
dent
He began teaching school when he
was fifteen years old and this gave
him chance TO carry on his educa-
tion. In 1920 he entered the sophomore
class at Brown University His life at
the University was not particularly
spectacular He applied himself zeal
ously TO the task of getting the best
from his college course. He was well
rewarded in 1925 when he was grad
uated from the university with the
honor OF being the best student that
Brown had ever sent out
After he left college. Prentice
taught school for some time and then
began 10 study law. He was admitted
TO the bar in 1927 when he was 81
years old. But teaching school and
practicing law held no great interest
for him other than TO help finish of
as it were his education
He returned to his alma mater
once. This time he was a care-worn
and eXperienCe-taught man, coming
again 10 the scenes OF his college days.
His nleditationS were expressed thus:
Within your silent dOmes. how
many hearts
Are beating high with glorious
dreams? 'Tis well.
The rosy sunlight of the morn |
should not
Be darkened by the por;ents of the |
storm
That may not burst till eve. These
youthful ones
Whose thoughts are woven of the
hues of Heaven
May see their visions fading tint by /
tint.
Till naught is left upon the winter
air II
Save the gray winter cloud; the
brilliant. star
That gltters now upon their happy
lives, lt
May redden to scorching flame.
and burn
Their every hope to dust" Ii
He meyer practicCd law. He delight
d more in literary work than in legal S
ractice. In college he mad written V
rose and poetry for newspapers and
e longed to write now He did not '
ave long to wait. a
Prentice's ability i'm writing was y
scovered by J. G. Brainard, poet. II
nj editor OF Il newspaper in Hart "
rd. Conn. His interests i'm behalf I
Prentice caused Prentice to be il
losen editor of The New England Re b
ew. started at Hartford in 1928. Ii 2
as Wing newspaper and soon be-
me known as one of the most as- ft
essiye and ably edited newspapers S
that section OF New England. +,
At last Prentice was engaged in his il
osen profession. The careful school
". the work-wOrn farmer lad. the q
,nored student, the strict teacher h
d studious lawyer set out in his life II
,rk. Although he became a slave of Iii
e pen, he was always its master. =
When Henry Clay was put up as the S
hiS candidate for president against H
ckson, the Democrat, in 1892. Prem an
e and the New England Review es
re into the fight. 1t was decided that W,
interesting biography of the Ken dc
ckian would do much to aid in his st
ction, and it was suggested by his so