12
��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��endured privations which caused him to love liberty. To him it was a precious jewel because of the hard- ships he underwent to obtain it. When the political history of our state shall be written by a pen in the hand of a worthy successor of Wil-
��liamson, it will be demonstrated be- yond dispute that among the many able men noted for their devotion to her welfare, none has left a better record than John Chandler, the black- smith, farmer, soldier, and statesman. — Portland Press.
��THE WIFE OF DANIEL WEBSTER.
��BY JAMES PARTON.
��Daniel VVebster was twice married. It is of his first wife, who was the mother of all his children, that I write to-day.
In colonial times the clergy were the aristocracy of New England. Their incomes were indeed exceed- ingly small, compared with those of our day ; but as they were generally men of learning, virtue, and politeness, and as all the people were religiously disposed, they were held in the high- est respect, and exercised great influ- ence. Small as their revenues were (seldom more than five hundred dol- lars a year), they generally lived in very good style, and, in many instances, accumulated property. Their salaries were increased by the bountiful gifts of the people, and they usually had a piece of land sufficient for the keeping of a cow and a horse, and for the rais- ing of their vegetables. Beside this, all the minister's family assisted in its support ; the sons tilled the garden and took care of the animal ; the daughters assisted their mothers in spin- ning the wool for the clothing of the household. Peter Parley, whose father was a New England clergyman of the olden times, mentions in his " Recol- lections " that for fifty years tlie salary of his father averaged three hundred dollars a year, upon which, wilii the assistance of a few acres of land, he reared a family of eight children, sent two sons to college, and left at his death two thousand dollars in money.
��The family of the clergyman was expected to be, and usually was, the model family of the parish. The chil- dren generally had the benefit of their father's instructions, as well as access to his little library ; and, if his daugh- ters did not learn French nor play the piano, they had the benefit of hearing intelligent conversation and of associ- ating with the best minds of their na- tive village.
Grace Fletcher, the wife of Daniel Webster, was the daughter of Elijah Fletcher, a clergyman of New Hamp- shire, where she was born in the year 17S1. Though her father died at the early age of thirty-nine, when Grace was but five years of age, he is still remembered in New Hampshire for his zeal and generosity. He was par- ticularly noted for his ])atronagc of young students, many of whom he prepared for college. After his death his widow married the minister of Salis- bury, New Hampshire, the town in which Daniel Webster was born, in which he grew up to manhood, and in which he first established himself in the ])ractice of the law. Thus it was that she became acquainted with her future husband. Daniel Webster was only one year older than herself. They attended the same church ; they went to school together ; they met one an- other at their neighbors' houses ; and this early intimacy ripened at length into a warmer and deeper attachment.
Notwithstanding his extraordinary
�� �
