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 val of Columbus in America, as my own birthday; but I have never claimed that the coincidence was worthy of note, outside of the immediate Smith house- hold.

Three years at the Eliot School, Boston, were fol- lowed by preparation for college at the Boston Latin School, from which I graduated to enter Harvard Uni- versity. It certainly was a grateful experience of that preparatory training, that, in 1825, I was permitted to call the "Franklin Medal" my own, as well as a gold Prize Medal" for an English poem.

My Harvard Class, 1829, brought me into intimacy with that congenial and beloved classmate, Dr. Holmes, and the friendship never abated; nor, in the progress of seventy years lacking one, was our tender fellow- ship ever lessened. Widely separated in our special lines of study, we were of "the boys" when together; and his playful reference to my being "disguised under the universal name of Smith," never hurt my sensibili- ties, but was one of the merry things of which we made sport together.

College days too quickly sped. I then pursued a three years' course at Andover Theological Seminary, from which I graduated September, 1832. I had med- dled with verses from childhood, and, before leaving An- dover, wrote the hymn, "My Country, 'tis of thee," "The Morning Light is breaking," and many others.

I had "on the brain," a penchant for comparative philology; and, in my theological course, added four languages to my repertoire, besides accomplishing the pleasing task of reading every word of Mr. Marshman's Chinese grammar, a vast quarto, nearly as large as a family Bible.