fondle the enormous creature as if he
were a kitten. And there, at last, he died happily, his great paws
clinging fondly to the mistress who loved him so well, his sightless
eyes turned upon her to the end, as if beseeching that she would not
again leave him.

"THERE IS ROOM ENOUGH AT THE TOP"

These words ere uttered many years ago by a youth who had no other
means by which to reach the top than work and will. They have since
become the watchword of every poor boy whose ambition is backed by
energy and a determination to make the most possible of himself.

The occasion on which Daniel Webster first said "There is room enough
at the top," marked the turning point in his life. Had he not been
animated at that time by an ambition to make the most of his talents,
he might have remained forever in obscurity.

His father and other friends had secured for him the position of Clerk
of the Court of Common Pleas, of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.
Daniel was studying law in the office of Mr. Christopher Gore, a
distinguished Boston lawyer, and was about ready for his admission to
the bar. The position offered him was worth fifteen hundred dollars a
year. This seemed a fortune to the struggling student. He lay awake the
whole night following the day on which he had heard the good news,
planning what he would do for his father and mother, his brother
Ezekiel, and his sisters. Next morning he hurried to the office to tell
Mr. Gore of his good fortune.

"Well, my young friend," said the lawyer, when Daniel had told his
story, "the gentlemen have been very kind to you; I am glad of it. You
must thank them for it. You will write immediately, of course."

Webster explained that, since he must go to New Hampshire immediately,
it would hardly be worth while to write. He could thank his good
friends in person.

"Why," said Mr. Gore in great astonishment, "you don't mean to accept
it, surely!"

The youth's high spirits were damped at once by his senior's manner.
"The bare idea of not accepting it," he says, "so astounded me that I
should have been glad to have found any hole to have hid myself in."

"Well," said Mr. Gore, seeing the disappointment his words had caused,
"you must decide for yourself; but come, sit down and let us talk it
over. The office is worth fifteen hundred a year, you say. Well, it
never will be any more. Ten to one, if they find out it is so much, the
fees will be reduced. You are appointed now