discussion was an attribute of his youthful days, and the courtesy shown in his intercourse with others in his maturer years was by no means lacking in his youth. Always high-spirited, the consciousness of overability to do seemed to be innate with him; and, both in my correspondence and conversations with him in those early days. I more than once had the impression that he was feeling his way, so to speak, as if not quite certain exactly
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ELLIOTT COUES AT TWENTY-ONE
From a photograph in the possession of D. G. Elliot
how far he could trust himself in the line of argument he had for the moment adopted, or was himself seeking its weak points. Always a courteous debater, and equally so in his youth as in his more experienced manhood, he was very attractive in his student days, with his bright face, pleasant manners, and love of fun such as appealed to those of his age, but even in his college days or earlier the keen mind was as quick to seize upon a vulnerable place in an argument and turn to profit a point thus gained as in aftertimes when his large experience and ample knowledge made him so formidable an antagonist. And yet, the boy showed
