Unfitness for Farming.—Love for Books.—Goes to the
Academy.—Appearance as a Student.—Love for Geography
and History.—Enters a Printing-office.—Genius for
Sketching.—Correspondence with Literary Men.—Their Advice.—Hon.
Charles Miner.—Putnam’s Tourist Guide.—Determination to go to
Europe.—Dismal Prospects.
Joseph Taylor was too intelligent and observing not to notice how unfit
was his son Bayard for tending sheep, hoeing corn, and weeding beds of
vegetables. The intellectual inclination exhibited by the boy in every
undertaking, and his frail form, led Mr. and Mrs. Taylor to look about
for some occupation for their son more fitting than the hard drudgery
of a farm. The eagerness with which he devoted himself to the study of
such books as could then be secured; his schemes for obtaining volumes
considered by his parents, until then, wholly beyond their reach; his
poems and essays, learned in the hayfield, and written out after the
day’s work was done, all confirmed them in the feeling that it was their
duty to give up his assistance on the homestead, and permit him to follow
the leading of his genius. It was with no little anxiety that they sent
him “away to school”; for they felt then that they might not have their
son, as a companion, at home again. Mr. Gause then taught an excellent
high school at West Chester, the county seat, and to that they sent him
for a short time. One of his classmates at that school, now residing in
Baltimore, says he remembers distinctly how awkward and rustic Bayard
appeared when he first entered the school, and how radical and rapid
was the change from the ploughboy to the student. He became a universal
favorite, and was so able to teach, and so ready to help, that he had
a large number of scholars following him about half the time, for the
purpose of getting assistance at their lessons. Yet he found much time to
read other books than those containing his studies, and as in a village
of the size of West Chester, there were some small libraries, his desire
for reading could be gratified. Geography was his favorite study, and, in
the pursuit of information, he sought out and read so many books relating
to the places mentioned in the text-book, that his classmates used to
say that “Bayard knows all about his geography without even reading his
lessons over.”
He was soon well acquainted with the history of the world, and had the
most interesting events connected with the wars of Europe fresh in his
mind. He read about Edinburgh, London, Paris, Berlin, and Dresden; of
William the Conqueror, Peter the Great, Charlemagne, and Mahomet; of the
adventures of the Crusaders, of the wars of the Roses, the Thirty Years’
War, and Napoleon’s campaigns; and, with each volume, built higher
those castles in the air, which many youths construct on the excitement
of such themes. It seems astonishing how a boy of fourteen years could
appreciate so much of the books he read, when we recall the dulness and
dryness which characterized almost every history then extant, and the
exceedingly difficult subjects of which they treated. He read, one day,
for a few minutes, in Unionville, in 1839, from a book that lay on the
mantel-shelf, and although the subject was that of art and the beauty of
Raphael’s Madonna and child, he understood it so well, and remembered
it so clearly, that, in 1845, when at Dresden, where the picture was
exhibited, he was able to recall the words of that description, and the
name of the writer.
The circumstances in which his parents were placed, made it impossible
for them to support him long at school, neither was he inclined to be
a charge upon them. He desired to be able to earn money for himself,
both to relieve his parents of the expense, and to furnish means for
purchasing books. He was a bold youth. He seemed to fear nothing. He had
a sublime faith in his own success, which was not egotism nor pride, but
an inspiration. Very often, when he had read a book, he would sit down
and write to the author; which fact was not, in itself, so astonishing
as the fact that he wrote letters so bright and sensible, that in nearly
every case he obtained a courteous, and often a lengthy reply. In this
way, he made the acquaintance of many men well known in the literary
circles of America, several of whom were of great assistance to him a few
years after. When he was but ten years old, and still on the old farm, he
read “Pencillings by the Way,” which was a narrative of foreign travel,
written by Nathaniel P. Willis, and published in the New York “Mirror,”
of which Mr. Willis was then an associate editor.
Young Bayard soon after entered into a correspondence with Mr. Willis
on literary matters, and continued the interchange of letters until the
death of Mr. Willis, in 1867. In the same manner young Bayard secured
the attention, advice, and assistance of Rufus W. Griswold, who edited
the “New World” and the “New Yorker,” and who, in 1842 and 1843, edited
“Graham’s Magazine,” in Philadelphia. Dr. Griswold was also a poet,
and in fact had been in every branch of literary work, from writing
items in Boston for a weekly paper, through type-setting, reporting,
and compiling, to writing sermons as a Baptist minister. He had led a
wandering life, had seen much of the world, and was well acquainted,
as an editor and reviewer, with all the best works of history, travel,
and poetry. From him Bayard received much sensible advice and much
encouragement. To him Bayard sent some of his earliest poems, and thus
secured their publication.
It is probable that Bayard became acquainted with Henry S. Evans, editor
of the West Chester “Village Record,” through some of his poetical
contributions to that paper. However that may be, he sought the office
of that paper for an opportunity to learn the printer’s trade, when it
had been decided by his parents to let him go. The “Village Record”
had long been a respected and favorite journal for that county, and
had, under the editorial management of Hon. Charles Miner, been the
intellectual training-school of many influential and noted men. Mr. Evans
was conducting the paper with much ability, and it was then usually
considered a great opportunity for any young man if an opening was found
for him in the office of that periodical.
Yet Bayard did not like the work of a printer, and especially despised
the work which naturally fell to his lot as a new apprentice. He took
to sketching; and having added the instruction of a teacher, for a few
weeks, to a natural tact for drawing, he “illustrated” almost everything
within reach which had a smooth surface. He caricatured the printers and
editors, and brought out the worst features of his associates in horrible
cartoons. He sent to delinquent correspondents pictures of ink-bottles
and long quills. He sketched himself in the mirror, and sent the copy to
inquiring friends. Far too intent upon drawings, poetry, and travels to
make much progress as a printer, he became tired of the occupation and
longed to be free. There came to his hands some time before he entered
the printing-office, a small book, intended partly for home reading and
partly as a guide-book for European travellers, entitled “The Tourist in
Europe.” It was written by George P. Putnam, of New York, and told the
routes, and described the wonders to be seen, in a very fascinating way
to one like Bayard, whose imagination was already excited to the most
enthusiastic pitch. The boy appears to have studied that book with the
greatest and most persevering zeal. He used it for a plan of reading,
and taking it by course, borrowed books relating to the places mentioned
by Mr. Putnam, until one by one he had learned the history, occupation,
literary achievements, and habits of every city or town of note in the
whole of Europe. He made up his mind that he was going to Europe. Just
how or when was a mystery. But that he was going soon he had no doubt.
He spoke of his trip to England and Germany with the confidence of one
who has his ticket and letter of credit already in his pocket. Yet he
was a penniless boy, who had scarcely seen a ship, and who knew but a
few phrases outside of his native tongue. His friends laughed at him,
and gravely told his relatives that if Bayard did not curb his rambling
disposition he would become a beggar and a disgrace. Even that chosen
schoolmate, whose dark eyes and tresses held more influence over his
thoughts and movements than the world knew, or he himself would publicly
acknowledge, laughed incredulously as he told her of his projected
visits to the castles, towers, shrines, and battle-fields of Europe and
Asia.
The months rolled heavily away, and his fingers wearied with the type,
and his heart became sad because of the long delay. He began to be
ashamed of his boasts, but patiently waited. For two years he studied,
planned, prophesied, yearned for a trip to Europe; having in the meantime
made a short and hazardous tramp to the Catskills, with money saved from
his clothing allowance as an apprentice. He ventured to write to some
ship-owners in Philadelphia, to ascertain if he could work his passage.
He often mentioned his proposed trip to his employer, and asked to be
released from his engagement and agreement as an apprentice. Mr. Evans
only smiled and said that Bayard need not trouble himself about that at
present; it would be all right when the time came for him to go. Thus,
with a conviction that he should certainly go, and yet heart-sick at the
delay, Bayard reached his nineteenth birthday.