REMINISCENCES OF DANIEL WEBSTER. 119 



although his speech was short, it was sufficient to identify 

 his manner. This showed that he had read my book, and 

 was able to cite it correctly. I met him again, the last 

 winter, in Washington, at a party at Mr. David Hall's, 

 when he again came to me, and welcomed me safe back 

 from my recent travels. A levee or party is, however, no 

 place for a continued conversation. Again, May 4 (1852), 

 Mrs. Silliman and myself were in the cars with him from 

 New Haven to Worcester ; and although Judge Boardman 

 mentioned at the New Haven station that Mr. Webster 

 was a passenger, I did not seek him, for fear of annoying 

 him, as great men are so much followed, often, no doubt, 

 when they would gladly be quiet. At Springfield, how 

 ever, we came into the same carriage, and here again I ab 

 stained from advances ; but he no sooner saw me, than he 

 left a group in which he was, and came to me, taking both 

 my hands with much warmth, saying : " My dear Profes 

 sor, I am very happy to see you ; " and when one offered 

 him a seat, he declined it, and said : " No ; I want to sit 

 by the Professor, that I may converse with him." Mrs. Sil 

 liman gave up her seat to him, which he at first declined to 

 accept, as he " would not separate husband. and wife ;" but 

 she took the seat next forward, and immediately we entered 

 on conversation which was most intimate and interesting, 

 quite to Worcester, nearly two hours. I led him to speak 

 of his efforts in Congress, and inquired whether an anec 

 dote which I had heard was true, namely, that he and 

 General Hayne met at the levee, the evening after his 

 (Webster's) celebrated speech in reply to Hayne, when 

 Webster challenged Hayne to drink a glass of wine with 

 him, and said : " General Hayne, I wish your health, and I 

 hope that you may live a thousand years." Hayne replied : 

 " I shall not live more than one hundred if you make another 

 such speech." Mr. Webster said that the anecdote was 

 true, only the occurrence took place, not at the palace, but 

 at the house of a friend. I told him that the speech was 



