or an
education defied the extremest poverty, and no obstacle could turn him
from his purpose. He was rich when he discovered a little bookstore,
and his thirsty soul would drink in the precious treasures from its
priceless volumes for hours, perfectly oblivious of the scanty meal of
bread and water which awaited him at his lowly lodging. Nothing could
discourage him from trying to improve himself by study. It seemed to
him that an opportunity to get at books and lectures was all that any
man could need. Before he was nineteen, this poor shepherd boy with no
chance had astonished the professors of Edinburgh by his knowledge of
Greek and Latin.

Hearing that a surgeon's assistant in the Civil Service was wanted,
although he knew nothing whatever of medicine, he determined to apply
for it. There were only six months before the place was to be filled,
but nothing could daunt him, and in six months' time he actually took
his degree with honor. Walter Scott, who thought this one of the most
remarkable illustrations of perseverance, helped to fit him out, and he
sailed for India.

Webster was very poor even after he entered Dartmouth College. A
friend sent him a recipe for greasing his boots. Webster wrote and
thanked him, and added: "But my boots need other doctoring, for they
not only admit water, but even peas and gravel-stones." Yet he became
one of the greatest men in the world. Sydney Smith said: "Webster was
a living lie, because no man on earth could be as great as he looked."
Carlyle said of him: "One would incline at sight to back him against
the world."

What seemed to be luck followed Stephen Girard all his life. No matter
what he did, it always seemed to others to turn to his account. His
coming to Philadelphia seemed a lucky accident. A sloop was seen one
morning off the mouth of Delaware Bay floating the flag of France and a
signal of distress. Young Girard was captain of this sloop, and was on
his way to a Canadian port with freight from New Orleans. An American
skipper, seeing his distress, went to his aid, but told him the
American war had broken out, and that the British cruisers were all
along the American coast, and would seize his vessel. He told him his
only chance was to make a push for Philadelphia. Girard did not know
the way, and had no money. The skipper loaned him five dollars to get
the service of a pilot who demanded his money in advance.

His sloop passed into the Delawar