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the second son of Ezra Stires Hupsarp, and E Liza 
Cuurcu of New Haven, — parents to whom he was more 
than tenderly attached, and whose declining years were 
blessed by his thoughtful devotion. Of his father, I may 
quote his own words written three years ago,: “ My father 
has done his life’s work well. Unable from feeble health to 
live the scholar’s life to which he had been destined by his 
uncle, President Srizes, and honoring learning next to god- 
liness, he endeavored to give his children every advantage 
attainable for scholarship, devoting his life, labors, and scanty 
means to this one object. Precious is his memory.” 
From a most interesting and touching sketch of his early 
life, prepared by his admirable mother, I may be permitted 
to gather some of the incidents of his boyhood illustrative of 
the peculiar traits of his character, — earnestness, enthusi- 
asm, and self-forgetfulness, modified by a wholesome love of 
fun and frolic, a tender susceptibility, and an affectionate 
| 
nature. From the whole account it is manifest that in 
childhood as in maturer life he made for himself a place 
in the hearts of all with whom he came in contact; and I 
think it may be said of him with literal truth, what is so 
rarely true even of good men endowed with far less force of 
character, that he had not an enemy in the world. 
With him, too, the old and ever new experience came to 
his parents, of the early yearning of an intellectual child 
for books and knowledge, and they afterwards lamented. 
that this dangerous tendency was not more carefully held in 
check. But although the danger of oyer-stimulating a recep- 
tive brain can hardly be exaggerated, and though the pre- 
cautions of physical education were at that time compara- 
tively disregarded among us, — I see no reason for suspicion 
of any morbid precocity. I venture to make the following 
extracts from the interesting accounts kindly furnished me 
by his mother: — 
