Dan-iel Web-ster was a great states-man. As a little boy he was called
“Little Black Dan.” When he grew larger, he was thin and
sickly-looking. But he had large, dark eyes. People called him “All
Eyes.”
He was very fond of his brother E-ze-ki-el. E-ze-ki-el was a little
older than Dan-iel. Both the boys had fine minds. They wanted to go to
college. But their father was poor.
Dan-iel had not much strength for work on the farm. So little “All
Eyes” was sent to school, and then to college. E-ze-ki-el staid at
home, and worked on the farm.
While Daniel was at school, he was unhappy to think that Ezekiel could
not go to college also. He went home on a visit. He talked to Ezekiel
about going to college. The brothers talked about it all night. The
next day Daniel talked to his father about it. The father said he was
too poor to send both of his sons to college. He said he would lose all
his little property if he tried to send Ezekiel to college. But he
said, that, if their mother and sisters were willing to be poor, he
would send the other son to college.
So the mother and sisters were asked. It seemed hard to risk the loss
of all they had. It seemed hard not to give Ezekiel a chance. They all
shed tears over it.
The boys promised to take care of their mother and sisters if the
property should be lost. Then they all agreed that Ezekiel should go to
college too.
Daniel taught school while he was studying. That helped to pay the
expenses. After Daniel was through his studies in college, he taught a
school in order to help his brother. When his school closed, he went
home. On his way he went round to the college to see his brother.
Finding that Ezekiel needed money, he gave him a hundred dollars. He
kept but three dollars to get home with.
The father’s property was not sold. The two boys helped the family.
Daniel soon began to make money as a lawyer. He knew that his father
was in debt. He went home to see him. He said, “Father, I am going to
pay your debts.”
The father said, “You cannot do it, Daniel. You have not money enough.”
“I can do it,” said Daniel; “and I will do it before Monday evening.”
When Monday evening came round, the father’s debts were all paid.
When Daniel became a famous man, it made Ezekiel very happy. But
Ezekiel died first. When Daniel Web-ster made his greatest speech, all
the people praised him.
But Web-ster said, “I wish that my poor brother had lived to this time.
It would have made him very happy.”