men of invention and industry-第80章

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individual；　in　a　city　he　is　only　one　of　a　multitude。　　The　country

boy　has　to　rely　upon　himself；　and　has　to　work　in　comparative

solitude；　while　the　city　boy　is　distracted　by　excitements。　　Life

in　the　country　is　full　of　practical　teachings；　whereas　life　in

the　city　may　be　degraded　by　frivolities　and　pleasures；　which　are

too　often　the　foes　of　work。　　Hence　we　have　usually　to　go　to

out…of…the…way　corners　of　the　country　for　our　hardest

brain…workers。　　Contact　with　the　earth　is　a　great　restorer　of

power；　and　it　is　to　the　country　folks　that　we　must　ever　look　for

the　recuperative　power　of　the　nation　as　regards　health；　vigour；

and　manliness。



Bainbridge　is　a　remote　country　village；　situated　among　the　high

lands　or　Fells　on　the　north…western　border　of　Yorkshire。　　The

mountains　there　send　out　great　projecting　buttresses　into　the

dales；　and　the　waters　rush　down　from　the　hills；　and　form

waterfalls　or　Forces；　which　Turner　has　done　so　much　to

illustrate。　　The　river　Bain　runs　into　the　Yore　at　Bainbridge；

which　is　supposed　to　be　the　site　of　an　old　Roman　station。　　Over

the　door　of　the　Grammar　School　is　a　mermaid；　said　to　have　been

found　in　a　camp　on　the　top　of　Addleborough；　a　remarkable

limestone　hill　which　rises　to　the　south…east　of　Bainbridge。　　It

is　in　this　grammar…school　that　we　find　the　subject　of　this　little

autobiography。　　He　must　be　allowed　to　tell　the　story　of　his

lifewhich　he　describes　as　'　Work：　Good；　Bad；　and　Indifferent'

in　his　own　words：



〃I　was　born　on　November　20th；　1853。　　In　my　childhood　I　suffered

from　ill…health。　　My　parents　let　me　play　about　in　the　open　air；

and　did　not　put　me　to　school　until　I　had　turned　my　sixth　year。　

One　day；　playing　in　the　shoemaker's　shop；　William　Farrel　asked　me

if　I　knew　my　letters。　　I　answered　'No。'　　He　then　took　down　a

primer　from　a　shelf；　and　began　to　teach　me　the　alphabet；　at　the

same　time　amusing　me　by　likening　the　letters　to　familiar　objects

in　his　shop。　　I　soon　learned　to　read；　and　in　about　six　weeks　I

surprised　my　father　by　reading　from　an　easy　book　which　the

shoemaker　had　given　me。



〃My　father　then　took　me　into　the　school；　of　which　he　was　master；

and　my　education　may　be　said　fairly　to　have　begun。　　My　progress；

however；　was　very　slow　partly　owing　to　ill…health；　but　more；　I

must　acknowledge；　to　carelessness　and　inattention。　　In　fact；

during　the　first　four　years　I　was　at　school；　I　learnt　very　little

of　anything；　with　the　exception　of　reciting　verses；　which　I

seemed　to　learn　without　any　mental　effort。　　My　memory　became　very

retentive。　　I　found　that　by　attentively　reading　half　a　page　of

print；　or　more；　from　any　of　the　school…books；　I　could　repeat　the

whole　of　it　without　missing　a　word。　　I　can　scarcely　explain　how　I

did　it；　but　I　think　it　was　by　paying　strict　attention　to　the

words　as　words；　and　forming　a　mental　picture　of　the　paragraphs　as

they　were　grouped　in　the　book。　　Certain；　I　am；　that　their　sense

never　made　much　impression　on　me；　for；　when　questioned　by　the

teacher；　I　was　always　sent　to　the　bottom　of　the　class；　though

apparently　I　had　learned　my　exercise　to　perfection。



〃When　I　was　twelve　years　old；　I　made　the　acquaintance　of　a　very

ingenious　boy；　who　came　to　our　school。　　Samuel　Bridge　was　a　born

mechanic。　　Though　only　a　year　older　than　myself；　such　was　his

ability　in　the　use　of　tools；　that　he　could　construct　a　model　of

any　machine　that　he　saw。　　He　awakened　in　me　a　love　of　mechanical

construction；　and　together　we　made　models　of　colliery

winding…frames；　iron…rolling　mills；　trip…hammers；　and

water…wheels。　　Some　of　them　were　not　mere　toys；　but　constructed

to　scale；　and　were　really　good　working　models。　　This　love　of

mechanical　construction　has　never　left　me；　and　I　shall　always

remember　with　affection　Samuel　Bridge；　who　first　taught　me　to　use

the　hammer　and　file。　　The　last　I　heard　of　him　was　in　1875；　when

he　passed　his　examination　as　a　schoolmaster；　in　honours；　and　was

at　the　head　of　his　list。



〃During　the　next　two　years；　when　between　twelve　and　fourteen；　I

made　comparatively　slow　progress　at　school。　　I　remember　having　to

write　out　the　fourth　commandment　from　memory。　　The　teacher

counted　twenty…three　mistakes　in　ten　lines　of　my　writing。　　It

will　be　seen　from　this；　that；　as　regards　learning；　I　continued

heedless　and　backward。　　About　this　time；　my　father；　who　was　a

good　violinist；　took　me　under　his　tuition。　　He　made　me　practice

on　the　violin　about　an　hour　and　a　half　a　day。　　I　continued　this

for　a　long　time。　　But　the　result　was　failure。　　I　hated　the

violin；　and　would　never　play　unless　compelled　to　do　so。　　I

suppose　the　secret　was　that　I　had　no　'ear。'



〃It　was　different　with　subjects　more　to　my　mind。　　Looking　over　my

father's　books　one　day；　I　came　upon　Gregory's　'Handbook　of

Inorganic　Chemistry；'　and　began　reading　it。　　I　was　fascinated

with　the　book；　and　studied　it　morning；　noon；　and　nightin　fact；

every　time　when　I　could　snatch　a　few　minutes。　　I　really　believe

that　at　one　time　I　could　have　repeated　the　whole　of　the　book　from

memory。　　Now　I　found　the　value　of　arithmetic；　and　set　to　work　in

earnest　on　proportion；　vulgar　and　decimal　fractions；　and；　in

fact；　everything　in　school　work　that　I　could　turn　to　account　in

the　science　of　chemistry。　　The　result　of　this　sudden　application

was　that　I　was　seized　with　an　illness。　　For　some　months　I　had

incessant　headache；　my　hair　became　dried　up；　then　turned　grey；

and　finally　came　off。　　Weighing　myself　shortly　after　my　recovery；

at　the　age　of　fifteen；　I　found　that　I　just　balanced　fifty…six

pounds。　　I　took　up　mensuration；　then　astronomy；　working　at　them

slowly；　but　giving　the　bulk　of　my　spare　time　to　chemistry。



〃In　the　year　1869；　when　I　was　sixteen　years　old；　I　came　across

Cuthbert　Bede's　book；　entitled　'Photographic　Pleasures。'　It　is　an

amusing　book；　giving　an　account　of　the　rise　and　progress　of

photography；　and　at　the　same　time　having　a　good…natured　laugh　at

it。　　I　read　the　book　carefully；　and　took　up　photography　as　an

amusement；　using　some　apparatus　which　belonged　to　my　father；　who

had　at　one　time　dabbled　in　the　art。　　I　was　soon　able　to　take　fair

photographs。　　I　then　decided　to　try　photography　as　a　business。　　I

was　apprenticed　to　a　photographer；　and　spent　four　years　with

himone　year　at　Northallerton；　and　three　at　Darlington。　　When　my

employer　removed　to　Darlington；　I　joined　the　School　of　Art　there。



〃Having　read　an　account　of　the　experiments　of　M。　E。　Becquerel；　a

French　savant；　on　photographing　in　the　colours　of　nature；　my

curiosity　was　awakened。　　I　carefully　repeated　his　experiments；

and　convinced　myself　that　he　was　correct。　　I　continued　my

experiments　in　heliochromy　for　a　period　of　about　two　years；

during　which　time　I　made　many　photographs　in　colours；　and

discovered　a　method　of　developing　the　coloured　image；　which

enabled　me　to　shorten　the　exposure　to　one…fortieth　of　the

previously…required　time。　　During　these　experiments；　I　came　upon

some　curious　results；　which；　I　think；　might　puzzle　our　scientific

men　to　account　for。　　For　instance；　I　proved　the　existence　of

black　light；　or　rays　of　such　a　nature　as　to　turn　the

rose…coloured　surface　of　the　sensitive…plate　blackthat　is；　rays

reflected　from　the　black　paint　of　drapery；　produced　black　in　the

picture；　and　not　the　effect　of　darkness。　　I　was；　like　Becquerel；

unable　to　fix　the　coloured　image　without　destroying　the　colours；

though　the　plates　would　keep　a　long　while　in　the　dark；　and　could

be　examined　in　a　subdued；　though　not　in　a　strong　light。　　The

coloured　image　was　faint；　but　the　colours　came　out　with　great

truth　and　delicacy。



〃I　began　to　attend　the　School　of　Art　at　Darlington　on　the　6th　of

March；　1872。　　I　found；　on　attempting　to　draw；　that　I　had

naturally　a　correct　eye　and　hand；　and　I　made　such　progress；　that

when　the　students'　drawings　were　examined；　previously　to　sending

them　up　to　South　Kensington；　all　my　work　was　approved。　　I　was

then　set　to　draw　from　the　cast　in　chalk；　although　I　had　only　been

at　the　school　for　a