forth his eloquence.

"Could any thing be grander than that?" said Nat, as they were leaving
the house. "I would walk twice as far to hear another speech like it."

"It was very fine indeed," answered Charlie. "It far exceeded my
expectations, high as my hopes were raised."

"What power there is in the human voice to control men!" said Nat. "How
still it was in the hall! You could almost hear a pin drop, they were so
chained by his eloquence. What else could hold them so long in such
silence!"

"Nothing," replied Charlie. "It has given me a new idea of eloquence
altogether. His voice alone, without a thought, is enough to command
attention."

"I could but notice his choice of language," added Nat; "every word
seemed to be the most expressive one he could find, and some of his
gestures appeared to make his words mean much more than they really do."

Nat had always been a close observer of public speakers from his
boyhood, and lost no opportunity to hear lecturers who came to his
native village. At the time he heard Webster, his desire to listen to
the leading orators of the day had developed almost into a passion. The
Debating Society had probably sharpened his taste for such intellectual
treats, and he was fully resolved to hear all the speakers he could. He
seldom left his book in the evening, except to hear some public speaker
at home and abroad, or to debate a question in the club. Many times he
walked into Boston to listen to some distinguished orator, returning,
often alone, after the treat was enjoyed. This was the pains he took to
hear Edward Everett several times, who became his favorite. He admired
him for the elegance of his diction, and the beauty with which all of
his addresses were invested. He saw more power in Webster, and more
elegance in Everett.

He frequently walked into neighboring towns to hear lectures and
political speeches. A good speaker announced anywhere in the vicinity
was sure to call him out, whether the speech was upon education or
politics. One great object with him seemed to be, to learn the art of
oratory by actual observation. It is probably true, that he acquired
more knowledge of the English language by listening to gifted speakers
than he ever did from books, and more of the true art of using it
himself to sway an audience. It is said that Robert Bloomfield, when a
poor boy, having only a newspaper and an old English dictionary with
which to gratify his thirst for informatio