“what are you thinking about, dan?” asked his mother one evening as the boy sat thoughtfully gazing at the logs blazing in the fireplace.
“i was wishing for something to read,” answered the boy.
indeed that was his chief trouble in those early days. libraries were scarce, and private collections equally scarce, especially in small country places. so the boy’s appetite for books was not likely to be satisfied.
daniel’s words attracted the attention of his father.
“i have been speaking to some of our neighbors to-day,” he said, “about establishing a small circulating library which we could all use. i think we shall do something about it soon.”
“i hope you will, father,” said dan eagerly.
“if we all contribute a little, we can make a beginning. besides we can put in some books we have already.”
a week or two later judge webster announced that the library had been established, and it may be easily supposed that daniel was one of the first to patronize it. it was a small and, many of my boy friends would think, an unattractive collection. but in the collection was the “spectator,” in reading which daniel unconsciously did something towards forming a desirable style of his own. he was fond of poetry, and at an early age could repeat many of the psalms and hymns of dr. watts.
there was another poem which so impressed him that he learned to repeat the whole of it. this was pope’s “essay on man,” a poem which i fear is going out of fashion, which is certainly a pity, for apart from its literary merits it contains a great deal of sensible advice as to the conduct of life. as it is not of so much importance how much we read as how thoroughly, and how much we remember, there is reason to think that daniel got more benefit from his four books than most of the boys of to-day from their multitude of books.
once, however, daniel’s literary enthusiasm came near having serious consequences. a new almanac had been received, and as usual each of the months was provided with a couplet of poetry. after going to bed daniel and ezekiel got into a dispute about the couplet at the head of the april page, and in order to ascertain which was correct dan got out of bed, went down stairs, and groped his way to the kitchen, where he lighted a candle and went in search of the almanac. he found it, and on referring to it ascertained that ezekiel was right. his eagerness made him careless, and an unlucky spark from the candle set some cotton clothes on fire. the house would have been consumed but for the exertions and presence of mind of his father. it may be a comfort to some of my careless young readers to learn that so great a man as daniel webster occasionally got into mischief when he was a boy.
somewhere about this time a young lawyer, mr. thomas w. thompson, came to daniel’s native town and set up an office.
as he was obliged to be absent at times, and yet did not wish to close his office, he proposed to daniel to sit in his office and receive callers in his absence. though boys do not generally take kindly to confinement, the office contained one attraction for the boy in a collection of books, probably of a miscellaneous character such as a young man is likely to pick up.
daniel’s time was not otherwise occupied, for he had no service to render, except to stay in the office and inform callers when mr. thompson would be back, and he was therefore at liberty to make use of the books. he made a selection unusual for a boy. there was an old latin grammar, which the young lawyer had probably used himself in his preparatory course. this book daniel selected, and began to study by himself. his employer offered to hear him recite in it, and soon had occasion to be surprised at the strong and retentive memory of his office boy. probably none of the law books attracted the future lawyer. it would have been surprising if they had.
“judge webster,” said thompson, on meeting the father of his young employee, “dan will make a fine scholar if he has the chance.”
“i think the boy has ability.”
“he certainly has. he ought to go to college.”
judge webster shook his head.
“i should like it above all things,” he said, “but i can’t see my way clear. i am a poor man, as you know, and it would cost a great deal of money to carry dan through college even after he were prepared.”
this was true, and the young lawyer was unprepared with any suggestion as to how the difficult matter was to be arranged. but judge webster did not forget the conversation. he was considering what could be done towards giving his promising son an education. he was willing to sacrifice his comfort, even, if thereby he could give him a good start in life.
finally he made up his mind to start him on the way, even if he were obliged to stop short before reaching the desired goal.
not far away was an institution which has since become famous, exeter academy, which has now for a century been doing an important work in preparing boys for our best colleges, and has always maintained a high standard of scholarship. thither judge webster determined to take daniel, and provide for his expenses by domestic self-denial. it was not till he had fully made up his mind that he announced his determination to the boy.
“dan,” he said one evening, “you must be up early to-morrow.”
“why, father?”
daniel supposed he was to be set at some farm work.
“we are going to make a journey,” answered judge webster.
“a journey!” repeated the boy in surprise. “where are we going?”
“i am going to take you to exeter, to put you at school there.”
the boy listened with breathless interest and delight, mingled perhaps with a little apprehension, for he did not know he would succeed in the untried scenes which awaited him.
“won’t it be expensive, father?” he asked after a pause, for he knew well his father’s circumstances, and was unusually considerate for a boy.
“yes, my son, but i look to you to improve your time, so that i may find my investment a wise one.”
“how are we to go, father?”
“on horseback.”
dan was a little puzzled, not knowing whether he and his father were to ride on one horse or not, as was a frequent custom at that time. it would have been hard upon any horse, for the judge was a man of weight, and the boy though light would have considerably increased the burden.
the next morning daniel’s curiosity was gratified. in front of the farmhouse stood two horses, one belonging to his father, the other filled out with a side-saddle.
“is that horse for me?” asked daniel in surprise.
“yes, my son.”
“what do i want of a side-saddle? i am not a lady.”
“neighbor —— is sending the horse to exeter for the use of a lady who is to return here. i agreed to take charge of it, and it happens just right, as you can use it.”
“i don’t know how i can get along with it. it will look strange for me to be riding on a lady’s saddle.”
“if a lady can ride on it probably you can.”
so dan and his father set out on their journey from the quiet country town to exeter, the boy mounted on a lady’s horse. when in his later life he had occasion to refer to this journey, mr. webster recalled with great merriment the figure he must have cut as he rode meekly behind his father.
no doubt as they rode along father and son conversed together about the important step which had been taken. judge webster already had formed the plan of sending daniel to college, after he should have completed a course of preparation at exeter, but upon this part of his plan he did not think it best yet to speak to his son, very probably because he had not yet made up his mind as to whether his circumstances would allow him to incur so heavy an expense.
“my son,” said the father gravely, “i hope you will improve to the utmost the advantages i am securing for you. you must remember how much depends upon yourself. a boy’s future is largely in his own hands.”
“yes, father, i will do the best i can.”
“mr. thompson thinks you can make a good scholar.”
“i will try, father.”
“i shall have no money to leave you, daniel, but i hope to give you an education, which is better than a fortune.”
how would the father have been gratified if he could have foreseen the brilliant future in store for the boy of fourteen who was about to take his first important step in life.
