to him and prosecuted his studies with commendable success, and by
the time he was a stripling of sixteen was possessed of knowledge
that few of his years could boast.

Richard was also an omniverous reader, and, as his father
possessed a good library, he, from a very early period had
literally devoured the contents of the books which lined its
shelves, and thus became well versed in history, both ancient and
modern, in the biographies of most of the celebrated men of all
ages, and was also well acquainted with the most eminent poets,
from Chaucer to Tennyson, ever having an apt quotation at his
command to fasten home a maxim or make more pungent a witticism.
In fact he had further developed a mind naturally broad by making
his own the best thoughts of the ages, and his sensitive nature
could not, knowingly, have given pain to a worm--no one that was
worthy appealed in vain to his generosity, and it seemed to be the
endeavor of his life to gain happiness by making those with whom
he associated happy. With his genial disposition, sparkling wit,
skill at repartee, and brilliant conversational powers, it was not
at all surprising, with such a nature and such accomplishments,
joined to an exceedingly handsome person he should have been voted
a good fellow by the men and a "catch" by the young ladies who had
entered that interesting period when they are considered eligible
candidates for matrimony. And as he had, over and above his
accomplishments, good prospects for the future, the mammas of the
aforementioned young ladies should not receive severe censure if
they did each exercise the utmost skill to secure for a son-in-law
the coveted prize. But these delicate manifestations were not
productive of the results which, it was whispered by the Mrs.
Grundies of the neighborhood, would have been most agreeable to