most brilliant, and it was not often until after the ayes and noes were
called, that it could be determined from the drift of his argument,
which side he had espoused, or in fact whether he himself understood
the proposition--unless, indeed, as was sometimes the case, he
commenced his speech by saying, "Mr. President, I _are_ in favor of the
negative of that are question." In the ordinary tasks of his class he
contrived from day to day, by the promptings of others, to work his way
along; and previous to the quarterly examinations, it was his practice
to obtain the assistance of some of his classmates to go over his
exercises with him, which they very cheerfully did, as an evening could
always be comfortably spent in this way, over a pitcher of cider and a
basket of apples. Having a pretty good memory, Dan could retain a part
of his lesson, guess at another part, and catch the wings and legs of
the residue from the promptings of friends--although he so greatly
outstripped them in growth, that it became difficult to send the
necessarily subdued sounds of their corrections up to his anxious ears.
It was a kind and indulgent class of which he was a member, and of no
ordinary character--it having furnished the president of one
university; the chief manager, for years, of half the Christian
missionaries in heathendom; and its full share of learned professors,
sagacious legislators, and eloquent counsellors in the law. And as the
truly great are ever the most active in labors of love, its members
were always ready and willing to lend our hero a helping hand in
"climbing" the difficult "steep" which Dr. Beattie pronounces so "hard"
of access. Still, at the close of every quarter, he was regularly "read
off," as the declaration of deficiency is denominated, and threatened
with degradation. But he nevertheless kept along; how, his biographer
cannot tell;--all that he is able to say upon this point, being the
fact, that the close of every academic year found him one year older,
somewhat taller, and advanced one grade higher in his classic course.
Whether on the ground of proficiency, of size, of family influence, or
for the purpose of swelling the catalogue by another name, the reader
is left to determine for himself.

The earth having at length nearly completed her fourth annual circle
around the orb of day, since Daniel commenced his collegiate course,
the anniversary at which he was to take his degree, if he could get it,
was