character-第50章

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manliness。　　He　designated　truthfulness　as　〃moral　transparency；〃

and　he　valued　it　more　highly　than　any　other　quality。　　When　lying

was　detected；　he　treated　it　as　a　great　moral　offence；　but　when　a

pupil　made　an　assertion；　he　accepted　it　with　confidence。　　〃If　you

say　so；　that　is　quite　enough；　OF　COURSE　I　believe　your　word。〃　　By

thus　trusting　and　believing　them；　he　educated　the　young　in

truthfulness；　the　boys　at　length　coming　to　say　to　one　another：

〃It's　a　shame　to　tell　Arnold　a　liehe　always　believes　one。〃　（10）



One　of　the　most　striking　instances　that　could　be　given　of　the

character　of　the　dutiful；　truthful；　laborious　man；　is　presented　in

the　life　of　the　late　George　Wilson；　Professor　of　Technology　in　the

University　of　Edinburgh。　（11）　　Though　we　bring　this　illustration

under　the　head　of　Duty；　it　might　equally　have　stood　under　that　of

Courage；　Cheerfulness；　or　Industry；　for　it　is　alike　illustrative

of　these　several　qualities。



Wilson's　life　was；　indeed；　a　marvel　of　cheerful　laboriousness；

exhibiting　the　power　of　the　soul　to　triumph　over　the　body；　and

almost　to　set　it　at　defiance。　　It　might　be　taken　as　an

illustration　of　the　saying　of　the　whaling…captain　to　Dr。　Kane；　as

to　the　power　of　moral　force　over　physical：　〃Bless　you；　sir；　the

soul　will　any　day　lift　the　body　out　of　its　boots！〃



A　fragile　but　bright　and　lively　boy；　he　had　scarcely　entered

manhood　ere　his　constitution　began　to　exhibit　signs　of　disease。

As　early；　indeed；　as　his　seventeenth　year；　he　began　to　complain　of

melancholy　and　sleeplessness；　supposed　to　be　the　effects　of　bile。

〃I　don't　think　I　shall　live　long；〃　he　then　said　to　a　friend；　〃my

mind　willmust　work　itself　out；　and　the　body　will　soon　follow

it。〃　　A　strange　confession　for　a　boy　to　make！　　But　he　gave　his

physical　health　no　fair　chance。　　His　life　was　all　brain…work；

study；　and　competition。　　When　he　took　exercise　it　was　in　sudden

bursts；　which　did　him　more　harm　than　good。　　Long　walks　in　the

Highlands　jaded　and　exhausted　him；　and　he　returned　to　his　brain…

work　unrested　and　unrefreshed。



It　was　during　one　of　his　forced　walks　of　some　twenty…four　miles　in

the　neighbourhood　of　Stirling；　that　he　injured　one　of　his　feet；

and　he　returned　home　seriously　ill。　　The　result　was　an　abscess；

disease　of　the　ankle…joint；　and　long　agony；　which　ended　in　the

amputation　of　the　right　foot。　　But　he　never　relaxed　in　his

labours。　　He　was　now　writing；　lecturing；　and　teaching　chemistry。

Rheumatism　and　acute　inflammation　of　the　eye　next　attacked　him；

and　were　treated　by　cupping；　blisetring；　and　colchicum。　　Unable

himself　to　write；　he　went　on　preparing　his　lectures；　which　he

dictated　to　his　sister。　　Pain　haunted　him　day　and　night；　and　sleep

was　only　forced　by　morphia。　　While　in　this　state　of　general

prostration；　symptoms　of　pulmonary　disease　began　to　show

themselves。　　Yet　he　continued　to　give　the　weekly　lectures　to　which

he　stood　committed　to　the　Edinburgh　School　of　Arts。　　Not　one　was

shirked；　though　their　delivery；　before　a　large　audience；　was　a

most　exhausting　duty。　　〃Well；　there's　another　nail　put　into　my

coffin；〃　was　the　remark　made　on　throwing　off　his　top…coat　on

returning　home；　and　a　sleepless　night　almost　invariably　followed。



At　twenty…seven；　Wilson　was　lecturing　ten；　eleven；　or　more　hours

weekly；　usually　with　setons　or　open　blister…wounds　upon　himhis

〃bosom　friends；〃　he　used　to　call　them。　　He　felt　the　shadow　of

death　upon　him；　and　he　worked　as　if　his　days　were　numbered。

〃Don't　be　surprised；〃　he　wrote　to　a　friend；　〃if　any　morning　at

breakfast　you　hear　that　I　am　gone。〃　　But　while　he　said　so；　he　did

not　in　the　least　degree　indulge　in　the　feeling　of　sickly

sentimentality。　　He　worked　on　as　cheerfully　and　hopefully　as　if　in

the　very　fulness　of　his　strength。　　〃To　none；〃　said　he；　〃is　life　so

sweet　as　to　those　who　have　lost　all　fear　to　die。〃



Sometimes　he　was　compelled　to　desist　from　his　labours　by　sheer

debility；　occasioned　by　loss　of　blood　from　the　lungs；　but　after　a

few　weeks'　rest　and　change　of　air；　he　would　return　to　his　work；

saying；　〃The　water　is　rising　in　the　well　again！〃　　Though　disease

had　fastened　on　his　lungs；　and　was　spreading　there；　and　though

suffering　from　a　distressing　cough；　he　went　on　lecturing　as　usual。

To　add　to　his　troubles；　when　one　day　endeavouring　to　recover

himself　from　a　stumble　occasioned　by　his　lameness；　he　overstrained

his　arm；　and　broke　the　bone　near　the　shoulder。　　But　he　recovered

from　his　successive　accidents　and　illnesses　in　the　most

extraordinary　way。　　The　reed　bent；　but　did　not　break：　the　storm

passed；　and　it　stood　erect　as　before。



There　was　no　worry；　nor　fever；　nor　fret　about　him；　but　instead；

cheerfulness；　patience；　and　unfailing　perseverance。　　His　mind；

amidst　all　his　sufferings；　remained　perfectly　calm　and　serene。　　He

went　about　his　daily　work　with　an　apparently　charmed　life；　as　if

he　had　the　strength　of　many　men　in　him。　　Yet　all　the　while　he　knew

he　was　dying；　his　chief　anxiety　being　to　conceal　his　state　from

those　about　him　at　home；　to　whom　the　knowledge　of　his　actual

condition　would　have　been　inexpressibly　distressing。　　〃I　am

cheerful　among　strangers；〃　he　said；　〃and　try　to　live　day　by　day

as　a　dying　man。〃　（12）



He　went　on　teaching　as　beforelecturing　to　the　Architectural

Institute　and　to　the　School　of　Arts。　　One　day；　after　a　lecture

before　the　latter　institute；　he　lay　down　to　rest；　and　was　shortly

awakened　by　the　rupture　of　a　bloodvessel；　which　occasioned　him　the

loss　of　a　considerable　quantity　of　blood。　　He　did　not　experience

the　despair　and　agony　that　Keats　did　on　a　like　occasion；　（13）

though　he　equally　knew　that　the　messenger　of　death　had　come；　and

was　waiting　for　him。　　He　appeared　at　the　family　meals　as　usual；

and　next　day　he　lectured　twice；　punctually　fulfilling　his

engagements；　but　the　exertion　of　speaking　was　followed　by　a　second

attack　of　haemorrhage。　　He　now　became　seriously　ill；　and　it　was

doubted　whether　he　would　survive　the　night。　　But　he　did　survive；

and　during　his　convalescence　he　was　appointed　to　an　important

public　officethat　of　Director　of　the　Scottish　Industrial

Museum；　which　involved　a　great　amount　of　labour；　as　well　as

lecturing；　in　his　capacity　of　Professor　of　Technology；　which　he

held　in　connection　with　the　office。



From　this　time　forward；　his　〃dear　museum；〃　as　he　called　it；

absorbed　all　his　surplus　energies。　　While　busily　occupied　in

collecting　models　and　specimens　for　the　museum；　he　filled　up　his

odds…and…ends　of　time　in　lecturing　to　Ragged　Schools；　Ragged

Kirks；　and　Medical　Missionary　Societies。　　He　gave　himself　no　rest；

either　of　mind　or　body；　and　〃to　die　working〃　was　the　fate　he

envied。　　His　mind　would　not　give　in；　but　his　poor　body　was　forced

to　yield；　and　a　severe　attack　of　haemorrhagebleeding　from　both

lungs　and　stomach　（14）compelled　him　to　relax　in　his　labours。

〃For　a　month；　or　some　forty　days；〃　he　wrote〃a　dreadful　Lent

the　mind　has　blown　geographically　from　'Araby　the　blest；'　but

thermometrically　from　Iceland　the　accursed。　　I　have　been　made　a

prisoner　of　war；　hit　by　an　icicle　in　the　lungs；　and　have　shivered

and　burned　alternately　for　a　large　portion　of　the　last　month；　and

spat　blood　till　I　grew　pale　with　coughing。　　Now　I　am　better；　and

to…morrow　I　give　my　concluding　lecture　（on　Technology）；　thankful

that　I　have　contrived；　notwithstanding　all　my　troubles；　to　carry

on　without　missing　a　lecture　to　the　last　day　of　the　Faculty　of

Arts；　to　which　I　belong。〃　（15）



How　long　was　it　to　last？　　He　himself　began　to　wonder；　for　he　had

long　felt　his　life　as　if　ebbing　away。　　At　length　he　became

languid；　weary；　and　unfit　for　work；　even　the　writing　of　a　letter

cost　him　a　painful　effort；　and。　　he　felt　〃as　if　to　lie　down　and

sleep　were　the　only　things　worth　doing。〃　　Yet　shortly　after；　to

help　a　Sunday…school；　he　wrote　his　'Five　Gateways　of　Knowledge；'

as　a　lecture；　and　afterwards　expanded　it　into　a　book。　　He　also

recovered　strength　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　proceed　with　his

lectures　to　the　insti