and reared a
family of noble sons and daughters, he was not prepared at nineteen to
support so many younger children and give a two-year-old boy the
attention that he needed.

At twelve years of age Aaron Burr went to college, and after this time
he never had even the apology of a home, indeed he never had a home such
as his nature demanded. There are three pictures of the child which
satisfy me that the right training would have enabled Aaron Burr to go
into history as the noblest Roman of them all.

At four years of age he was at school, where the treatment was so severe
that he ran away from school and home and could not be found for three
days.

At seven years of age he was up in a cherry tree when a very prim and
disagreeable spinster came to call, and he indulged in the childish
luxury of throwing cherries at her. She sought "Uncle Timothy," who
took the seven-year-old child into the house, gave him a long and severe
lecture, offered a long prayer of warning, and then "licked me like a
sack."

At ten years of age he ran away from the severity of his uncle, and went
to New York and shipped as cabin boy. His uncle followed him, and when
the little fellow saw him he went to the top of the masthead and refused
to come down until his uncle agreed not to punish him. It is easy to see
that his uncle aroused in him all the characteristics that should have
been calmed, and gave him none of that care which father or mother would
have provided him.

At twelve he entered Princeton, and graduated with honors at sixteen.
College life had its temptations, but he conducted himself with unusual
decorum, and upon graduation went to study with an eminent clergyman.
Apparently he expected to enter the ministry, but the theology of Dr.
Bellamy did not commend itself to him, and even less did the spirit with
which the theologian met his queries, so that for the remaining sixty
odd years of life he would not talk about theology. Here was a brilliant
lad, fresh from college, with the inheritance of Burr and Edwards, who
might have been led into a glorious career, but was instead repelled,
and went back to his uncle's home, with no profession and no plan for
life, with no one to advise him.

The battle of Bunker hill aroused Burr to patriotic purpose, and, though
but nineteen, he started for Cambridge to enlist. He was stricken with
fever, however, and before he was recovered he heard of Arnold's
proposed expedition to Quebec, and