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Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"

Hearing
this young man from the wilds of Mississippi could do so, he embraced
the first opportunity of hearing him. When he reached the place, he
found the assemblage very great, and with difficulty he succeeded in
reaching a point where he might hear well. He was unable to procure a
seat, and was compelled to stand, thoroughly jammed by the crowd. He
took out his watch to time him, as he commenced, and noting the minute,
he essayed to replace his watch: something said arrested his attention
and his hands from their work of putting the watch in its fob.
"There was something, sir, in his eye," said he, "which startled me,
and then the words came bubbling up spontaneously as spring water, so
full of power, so intensely brilliant, and his figures so bold,
original, and illustrating, and the one following the other in such
quick succession; the flights of imagination, so new, so eloquent, and
so heart-searching--that I found it impossible to take my eyes from his
face, or my ears from drinking in every word. At one time, so intense
were my feelings under the effect of his words and the powerful
impression they were making on my mind, that I thought I should faint.


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