Part 1 (2/2)

Mr March has described an incident of Mr Webster's earliest youth in a raphical, that we are tempted to repeat it in his oords:--

”In Mr Webster's earliest youth an occurrence of such a nature took place, which affected him deeply at the time, and has dwelt in his memory ever since There was a sudden and extraordinary rise in the Merrie of rain for thole days poured down upon the houses A led water and snow rushedthe fields far and wide The highere broken up, and rendered undistinguishable There was no way for neighbors to interchange visits of condolence or necessity, save by boats, which cas of value were swept away, even things of bulk A large barn, full fifty feet by twenty, croith hay and grain, sheep, chickens, and turkeys, sailed majestically down the river, before the eyes of the astonished inhabitants; who, no little frightened, got ready to fly to the mountains, or construct another ark

”The roar of waters, as they rushed over precipices, casting the foa of the forest-trees as the store of the eye, the sublier, of the scene, made an indelible impression upon the mind of the youthful observer

”Occurrences and scenes like these excite the iht, call into existence new eive decision to character, and a purpose to action”--pp

7, 8

It may well be supposed that Mr Webster's early opportunities for education were very scanty It is indeed correctly remarked by Mr

Ticknor, in reference to this point, that ”in New England, ever since the first free school was established amidst the woods that covered the peninsula of Boston in 1636, the schoole and civilized life, often indeed with an axe to open his own path, but always looked up to with respect, and always carrying with hi influence” Still, however, coood school in this region and at the present tio were sadly defective Many of our district schools even now are below their reputation The Swedish Chancellor's exclamation of wonder at the little wisdoht well be repeated at the little learning and skill hich the scholastic world in too ht In Mr Webster's boyhood it wasthat was called a school was kept for two or three months in the winter, frequently by an itinerant, too often a pretender, clai, and wholly incoive any valuable assistance to a clever youth in learning either

Such as the village school was, Mr Webster enjoyed its advantages, if they could be called by that naratory character When it was near his father's residence it was easy to attend; but it was sometimes in a distant part of the town, and so, he was daily sent two miles and a half or three miles to school in mid-winter and on foot If the school-house lay in the same direction with the ht be hoped for If the school was rehbor's

Poor as these opportunities of education were, they were bestowed on Mr

Webster erness for learning; and he was thought of too frail a constitution for any robust pursuit An older half-brother good-huet to know as much as the other boys” It is probable that the best part of his education was derived fro-minded, affectionate, and ambitious mother

Mr Webster's first master was Thomas Chase He could read tolerably well, and wrote a fair hand; but spelling was not his _forte_ His second e in Gloucester, Massachusetts His qualifications as a teacher far exceeded those of Master Chase The worthy veteran, now dignified with the title of Colonel, feels a pride, it may well be supposed, in the fame of his quonda soht school at Salisbury This unexpected coed teacher drew froratuity was inclosed, entle at ”New Salisbury”[1]

”_Washi+ngton, February 26, 1851_

”MASTER TAPPAN,--I thank you for your letter, and a I remember you perfectly well as a teacher of ht me to read very early, as I have never been able to recollect the time when I could not read the Bible I think Master Chase was my earliest schoolmaster, probably when I was three or four years old

Then came Master Tappan You boarded at our house, and sometihbor, the laone to their graves Mr John Sanborn, the son of Benjae Mr John Colby, whoOn the 'North Road' is Mr

Benjail

I think of none else a whom you would probably remember

”You have indeed lived a checkered life I hope you have been able to bear prosperity with s are all ordered for us far better than we could order them for ourselves We iveness of sins; we dom of God may come, in us, and in all men, and his will everywhere be done Beyond this, we hardly know for what good to supplicate the Divine Mercy Our Heavenly Father knoe have need of better than we know ourselves, and we are sure that his eye and his loving-kindness are upon us and around us every ood old school recollections; and, with all good wishes, I remain your friend and pupil,

”DANIEL WEBSTER

To ”MR JAMES TAPPAN”

He derived, also, no small benefit from the little social library, which, chiefly by the exertions of Mr Thoyman, and Mr Webster's father, had been founded in Salisbury The attention of the people of New Haeneral and popular education by Dr

Belknap In the patriotic address to the people of New Hampshi+re, at the close of his excellent History, he says:--

”This (the establishment of social libraries) is the easiest, the cheapest, and thethe people For the suht dollars at once, and a small annual payment besides, a manhis life, and his children e library at Salisbury, founded on recommendations like these, Mr Webster was able to obtain a

It is quite worth noticing, that his attention, like that of Franklin, was in early boyhood attracted to the Spectator Franklin, as is well known, studiously formed his style on that of Addison;--and a considerable resemblance may be traced between them There is no such resemblance between Mr Webster's style and that of Addison, unless it be the negative merit of freedom from balanced sentences, hard words, and inversions Itto his early familiarity with the Spectator, that he escaped in youth frorew up to the mastery of that direct and forcible, but not harsh and affected sententiousness, that s are so strongly marked

The year before Mr Webster was born was rendered memorable in New Hah the inal endowment is estimated by Dr Belknap at nearly ten thousand pounds, which, in the comparative scarcity of money in 1781, cannot be considered as less than three times that aarded as eras in the history of that State In the year 1788, Dr Benjamin Abbot, soon afterwards its principal, became connected with the Academy as an instructor, and from that ti the schools of the country To this Academy Mr Webster was taken by his father in May, 1796 He enjoyed the advantage of only a few months' instruction in this excellent school; but, short as the period was, his enial and quickening character Nothing could be raceful or honorable to both parties than the tribute paid by Mr

Webster to his ancient instructor, at the festival at Exeter, in 1838, in honor of Dr Abbot's jubilee While at the Acadeed by a pupil younger than hies of education in boyhood, was now in the senior class at Exeter, the early celebrated and la anecdote froht out of place in this connection:--