some young man, almost six feet in height, well
proportioned, with broad chest, athletic, as we
have seen, and with a handsome, intelligent face,
blue eyes, light brown hair of a rich color, and a
winning smile. These, added to a musical voice
and gracious manners, gave him a personal charm
that attracted all who saw him.
As a teacher he combined unusual tact and manly
dignity, making his discipline in school as effective
as it was reasonable. He also proved to be as
skillful in imparting knowledge as he had been in
acquiring it, and his success as a teacher was assured
from the outset.
His first school was in East Haddam, Connecticut.
There was then much wealth and business
activity in the town, although, to a man fresh from
college and the city, it appeared to be a very quiet
place, as one or two of his early letters indicate.
Yet there too he did with all his might what his
hands found to do, and soon proved that not only
his work, but his social qualities, were endearing
him to new friends, some of whom remembered
him with pleasure during their own long lives;
one of them saying of Nathan Hale in her own old
age, "Everybody loved him, he was so sprightly,
intelligent, and kind," and, she added withal,
"and so handsome!"
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