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THE LAD WHO RODE SIDESADDLE When Daniel Webster was a child he lived in the country , far from any city . He was not strong enough to work on the farm like his brothers ; but he loved books and study . He was very young when he was first sent to school . The schoolhouse was two or three miles from home , but he did not mind the long walk through the woods and over the hills . He soon learned all that his teacher could teach ; for he was bright and quick , and had a good memory . His father hoped that Daniel would grow up to be a wise and famous man . " But , " said he , " no man can rightly succeed without an education . " So it was decided that the boy should go to some school where he might be prepared for college . One evening his father said to him , " Daniel , you must be up early in the morning . You are going to Exeter with me . " " To Exeter , father ! " said Daniel . " Yes , to Exeter . I am going to put you in the academy there . " The academy at Exeter was a famous school for preparing boys for college . It is still a famous school . But Daniel's father did not say anything about college . There were no railroads at that time , and Exeter was nearly fifty miles away . Daniel and his father would ride there on horseback . Early in the morning two horses were brought to the door . One was Mr . Webster's horse ; the other was an old gray nag with a lady's sidesaddle on its back . " Who is going to ride that nag ? " asked Daniel . " Young Dan Webster , " answered his father . " But I don't want a sidesaddle . I'm not a lady . " " I understand , " said Mr . Webster . " But our neighbor , Johnson , is sending the nag to Exeter for the use of a lady who is to ride back with me . He does me a favor by allowing you to ride on the animal , and I do him a favor by taking care of it . " " But won't it look rather funny for me to ride to Exeter on a sidesaddle ? " " Well , if a lady can ride on it , perhaps Dan Webster can do as much . " And so they set out on their journey to Exeter . Mr . Webster rode in front , and Daniel , on the old gray nag , followed behind . The roads were muddy , and they went slowly . It took them two days to reach Exeter . The people whom they met gazed at them and wondered who they could be . They scarcely noticed the sidesaddle ; they noticed only the boy's dark eyes and his strong , noble face . His clothes were of homemade stuff ; his shoes were coarse and heavy ; he had no gloves on his hands ; he was awkward and bashful . Yet there was something in his manner and voice that caused everybody to admire him . Daniel Webster lived to become a famous orator and a great statesman . He was honored at home and abroad .
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