Tougher than the Devil

Daniel Webster

“If two New Hampshiremen aren’t a match for the Devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians.’’

Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943), in his short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster’’. The tale centers on a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the Devil and is defended by Daniel Webster (1782-1852), a fictional version of the 19th Century American statesman, lawyer and orator.

Mr, Benet’s gravestone in the Evergreen Cemetery in Stonington. Conn.