Page:The Southern Literary Messenger - Minor.djvu/131

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Literary Messenger
115

magazines. But at length it was in the market and its sale hanging fire. Who were competing for it is not recalled. This delay, however, was likely to increase the weight of the blow which it had received from the death of its founder. Still, the editor boldly took the helm, with enthusiasm and hope, though he was only about 25½ years of age. The coincidence of his natal day, the 21st of October, with a great event was never adverted to, until the World's Fair in Chicago called attention to the 400th anniversary of Columbus' grand discovery on that day in 1492.

Instead of having devoted himself to Literature, he was practicing and really still studying Law. But he had long enjoyed Literature incidentally and had had good advantages of education, embracing a five years' delightful college career. Having never been averse to study he had, before he attained the age of twenty years, obtained a diploma in Moral Philosophy and Political Economy from the University of Virginia, under Prof. Geo. Tucker, and another in the same department, from William and Mary, under its renowned teacher of those subjects, the president, Thos. R. Dew; the degree of LL.B. from the same institution, under Judge N. B. Tucker, and a license to practice law, signed by three Virginia judges. At school and at college he was as much addicted to general reading as