life, or, sadder yet, from virtue." But the mother's love and prayers, which carried him daily in her heart to God, were his shield from his cradle; and the man does not live who ever heard him utter a profane word. Throughout all the harassing and perplexing cares of his army-life, no negligence, carelessness, misbehavior, ill-temper in others, tempted him to irreverence. Always, at all times, he was self-controlled; and "self-control is self-completion." During the Rebellion, she still followed him with the eyes of her heart on the road to fame, but with more faith and trust. She believed God had raised him up to deliver and bless his native land, and would guide and protect him. How much the world owes to pious mothers!

Love of their children was a strongly-marked trait in the family. Mr. Grant, senior, when in the full enjoyment of his powers of mind and body, took a competence from his own property, and divided the remainder among his children, except Ulysses, who declined to receive it. Gen. Grant wanted the companionship of his young son in his absence from his family in camp; and, wishing also to bring him in contact with actual life under his own eye, he took him with him to Champion Hill, and through the campaign at Vicksburg. And on the morning at the White House when he received his commission from President Lincoln as LieutenantGeneral of the Union armies, there were assembled, besides the cabinet, only one or two officials; but, when Gen. Grant entered, his little son was by his side. So sweet is it to the human heart to have our success witnessed by those we love!

He was originally christened Hiram Ulysses; his

grandfather giving the name of Hiram ; his grandmother, who was a great student of history, giving the name of Ulysses, whose character had strongly attracted her admiration. The member of Congress who appointed Grant to his cadetship at West Point when a boy of seventeen, by accident changed his name, in filling his appointment, to U. S. Grant. Grant repeatedly endeavored to have the mistake corrected at West Point, and at the War Department at Washington; but this was one of the few things in which he failed: his applications were never complied with. As if fate foresaw the patriotic duty, the filial love, the transcendent services, he was one day to render his country, the government seemed to insist, when adopting him among her military children, on renaming him, and giving to him her own initials, "U. S.," which he has ever since

borne.

It has been thought remarkable that the mother of Napoleon should have happened to give birth to her warrior-son beneath tapestried hangings on which were wrought battle-pictures from the Iliad. Is it not a little. singular that the maternal relative of Grant should have chosen for her admiration, from all history, the character of the hero of the siege of Troy; have given his name to the infant Grant; and that forty years after, when leading the Union armies of the Republic, he should have exhibited the same invincible fortitude; untiring patience, and unconquerable perseverance, so celebrated in the immortal song of Homer? Ulysses of old was himself the very man who “ fought it out on the line he had chosen, if it took all summer."

Grant was neither a precocious nor a stupid child:

he was a well-behaved, dutiful boy. He attended the public school in the village; he learned well, but was no prodigy. The first book he read was "The Life of Washington,” which made on his mind and imagination a profound and lasting impression. A Canadian relative of about his own age visiting him soon after, Washington was very naturally spoken of by the two boys. His Canadian cousin said "he was nothing but a rebel, after all.” Both boys were excited; and Grant said, "If "If you say that again, I'll thrash you." It was repeated with defiance. Off went their jackets, and the Canadian soon had the worst of it. Years after, Grant was reminded of the incident by his cousin; and he assured him pleasantly that he should do the same thing again with like provocation.

His special fondness was for a horse, and he attended the circus whenever it passed through the village. One came along in which there was an innocent-looking pony, which was brought out during the performances ; and then the question would be mildly asked with a smile, "Is there any little boy here who would like a ride?"

The pony was trained to go furiously round, and, at a given signal from his master, throw the boy head first on to the tan in the ring; when the surprised and mortified boy would pick himself up, and retreat amid the laughter of the crowd. When the question was asked, Ulysses stepped into the ring, mounted; and the pony started. On he went; crack, crack, went the whip; faster and faster went the pony. At the signal, he kicked up his heels, reared, plunged, shook his back. The people shouted; but the boy sat still. Out came a large

monkey, and jumped up behind him, tore off his cap, and clutched his hair. Ulysses looked neither to the right nor the left; he spoke not a word, but clung like grim death to the saddle, until the ring-master gave it up, and stopped the pony.

This anecdote is of no consequence, except as exhibiting a native and early-developed trait in Grant's character, of always doing what he attempted to do. He had undertaken to ride the pony, crowd or no crowd, monkey or no monkey; and he rode him. difference in boys," said Dr. Arnold, "is not so much in talent as in energy.”

"The

He

Another anecdote illustrates the same trait, but exhibits more strategy and ingenuity. When twelve years old, Mr. Grant's men were hauling heavy logs from the woods. Ulysses drove the horse. One day, when he reached the woods, he found the logs, but not the men. He waited He waited; but the men did not come. determined not to go home without the logs. So, after contriving some time, he hitched the chain to one end of a log, and drew it up on to a tree which had fallen, so that one end was higher than the other. When he had three logs in position, he backed the hind end of the wagon under them, and then, with the chain, hauled the logs on to the wagon, and drove home in triumph. Quite a little feat for a boy of twelve years of age.

He never liked his father's business of tanning. It was disagreeable; and he early determined not to follow it. He wanted an education. He said he would be a farmer, or trade down the river; but a tanner he would not be.

His father, with limited means, did not feel, that, in

justice to himself and his other children, he could afford the money to send him to college.

He applied, with the boy's assent, for a vacant cadetship at West Point. The appointment was to be made by Hon. T. L. Hamer, the member of Congress from the district. His term of office expired at noon, March 4, 1839. Mr. Grant's letter, asking for the appointment of his son, reached him on the night of the 3d. On the morning of the 4th, the appointment was made.

It is remarkable, that, without any special preparatory study, he passed the rigid examination which all cadets are obliged to undergo, and was at once admitted to the academy.

The story which has been told, that Grant was "hazed" at West Point, and had a fight with some of the cadets, is an error. Grant had no difficulty, either with the officers or his fellow-cadets. He never struck nor was struck while there by any person whatever.

It was in the years passed at the academy that Grant laid the foundation of his greatness. Wellington, once looking at the playground at Eton with a friend, said, "'Twas there Waterloo was won." It was at West Point that Donelson and Vicksburg and Chattanooga were made possible to Grant. Gibbon says every man has two educations, — one acquired from others; one more important, which he gives to himself. Grinding gerunds may be study, but is not necessarily education. Education and wisdom are different things. A man may be very learned, and very unwise; he may know a great deal, and be very ignorant; be highly educated, and be very foolish. A man, like a gun, may be overloaded to his own injury and that of others; may