men of invention and industry-第85章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



they　met　at　the　gas…works；　sitting　opposite　the　retorts　on　a

bench　supported　at　each　end　with　bricks。　　They　did　not　penetrate

far　into　the　mysteries　of　Welsh　shorthand；　they　soon　abandoned

the　attempt；　and　induced　the　village　schoolmaster　to　open　a　night

school。



This；　however；　did　not　last　long。　　The　young　Crispin　was

returning　late　one　night　from　Llanrwst　in　company　with　a　lad　of

the　same　age；　and　both　having　heard　much　of　the　blessings　of

education　from　a　Scotch　lady　who　took　a　kindly　interest　in　them；

their　ambition　was　inflamed；　and　they　entered　into　a　solemn

compact　that　they　would　thenceforward　devote　themselves　body　and

soul　to　the　attainment　of　an　academical　degree。　　Yet　they　were

both　poor。　　One　was　but　a　shoemaker's　apprentice；　while　the　other

was　a　pupil　teacher　earning　but　a　miserable　weekly　pittance。　　One

could　do　the　parts　of　speech；　the　other　could　not。　　One　had

struggled　with　the　pans　asinorum；　the　other　had　never　seen　it。　　I

may　mention　that　the　young　pupil　teacher　is　now　a　curate　in　the

Church　of　England。　　He　is　a　graduate　of　Cambridge　University　and

a　prizeman　of　Clare　College。　　But　to　return　to　the　little

shoemaker。



〃After　returning　home　from　Llanrwst；　he　disburthened　his　heart　to

his　mother；　and　told　her　that　shoemaking；　which　until　now　he　had

pursued　with　extraordinary　zest；　could　no　longer　interest　him。　

His　mother；　who　was　equal　to　the　emergency；　sent　the　boy　to　a

teacher　of　the　old　school；　who　had　himself　worked　his　way　from

the　plough。　　After　the　exercise　of　considerable　diplomacy；　an

arrangement　was　arrived　at　whereby　the　youth　was　to　go　to　school

on　Mondays；　Wednesdays；　and　Fridays；　and　make　shoes　during　the

remaining　days　of　the　week。　　This　suited　him　admirably。　　That

very　night　he　seized　upon　a　geography；　and　began　to　learn　the

counties　of　England　and　Wales。　　The　fear　of　failure　never　left

him　for　two　hours　together；　except　when　he　slept。　　The　plan　of

work　was　faithfully　kept；　though　by　this　time　shoemaking　had　lost

its　charms。　　He　shortened　his　sleeping　hours；　and　rose　at　any

moment　that　he　awokeat　two；　three；　or　four　in　the　morning。　　He

got　his　brother；　who　had　been　plodding　with　him　over　shorthand；

to　study　horticulture；　and　fruit　and　vegetable　culture；　and　that

brother　shortly　after　took　a　high　place　in　an　examination　held　by

the　Royal　Horticultural　Society。　　For　a　time；　however；　they

worked　together；　and　often　did　their　mother　get　up　at　four

o'clock　in　the　depth　of　winter；　light　their　fire；　and　return　to

bed　after　calling　them　up　to　the　work　of　self…culture。　　Even　this

did　not　satisfy　their　devouring　ambition。　　There　was　a　bed　in　the

workshop；　and　they　obtained　permission　to　sleep　there。　　Then　they

followed　their　own　plans。　　The　young　gardener　would　sit　up　till

one　or　two　in　the　morning；　and　wake　his　brother；　who　had　gone　to

bed　as　soon　as　he　had　given　up　work　the　night　before。



Now　he　got　up　and　studied　through　the　small　hours　of　the　morning

until　the　time　came　when　he　had　to　transfer　his　industry　to

shoemaking；　or　go　to　school　on　the　appointed　days　after　the

distant　eight　o'clock　had　come。　　His　brother　had　got　worn　out。　

Early　sleep　seemed　to　be　the　best。　　They　then　both　went　to　bed

about　eight　o'clock；　and　got　the　policeman　to　call　them　up　before

retiring　himself。



〃So　the　struggle　went　on；　until　the　faithful　old　schoolmaster

thought　that　his　young　pupil　might　try　the　examination　at　the

Bangor　Normal　College。　　He　was　now　eighteen　years　of　age；　and　it

was　eighteen　months　since　the　time　when　he　began　to　learn　the

counties　of　England　and　Wales。　　He　went　to　Bangor；　rigged　out　in

his　brother's　coat　and　waistcoat；　which　were　better　than　his　own；

and　with　his　brother's　watch　in　his　pocket　to　time　himself　in　his

examinations。　　He　went　through　his　examination；　but　returned　home

thinking　he　had　failed。　　Nevertheless；　he　had　in　the　meantime；　on

the　strength　of　a　certificate　which　he　had　obtained　six　months

before；　in　an　examination　held　by　the　Society　of　Arts　and

Sciences　in　Liverpool；　applied　for　a　situation　as　teacher　in　a

grammar…school　at　Ormskirk　in　Lancashire。　　He　succeeded　in　his

application；　and　had　been　there　for　only　eight　days　when　he

received　a　letter　from　Mr。　Rowlands；　Principal　of　the　Bangor

Normal　College；　informing　him　that　he　had　passed　at　the　head　of

the　list；　and　was　the　highest　non…pupil　teacher　examined　by　the

British　and　Foreign　Society。　　Having　obtained　permission　from　his

master　to　leave；　he　packed　his　clothes　and　his　few　books。　　He　had

not　enough　money　to　carry　him　home；　but；　unasked；　the　master　of

the　school　gave　him　10s。　　He　arrived　home　about　three　o'clock　on

a　Sunday　morning；　after　a　walk　of　eleven　miles　over　a　lonely　road

from　the　place　where　the　train　had　stopped。　　He　reeled　on　the

way；　and　found　the　country　reeling　too。　　He　had　been　sleeping

eight　nights　in　a　damp　bed。　　Six　weeks　of　the　Bangor　Session

passed；　and　during　that　time　he　had　been　delirious；　and　was　too

weak　to　sit　up　in　bed。　　But　the　second　time　he　crossed　the

threshold　of　his　home　he　made　for　Bangor　and　got　back　his

〃position；〃　which　was　all　important　to　him；　and　he　kept　it　all

through。



〃Having　finished　his　course　at　Bangor　he　went　to　keep　a　school　at

Brynaman；　he　endeavoured　to　study　but　could　not。　　After　two　years

he　gave　up　the　school；　and　with　60L。　saved　he　faced　the　world

once　more。　　There　was　a　scholarship　of　the　value　of　40L。　a　year；

for　three　years；　attached　to　one　of　the　Scotch　Universities；　to

be　competed　for。　　He　knew　the　Latin　Grammar；　and　had；　with　help；

translated　one　of　the　books　of　Caesar。　　Of　Greek　he　knew　nothing；

save　the　letters　and　the　first　declension　of　nouns；　but　in　May　he

began　to　read　in　earnest　at　a　farmhouse。　　He　worked　every　day

from　6　A。M。　to　12　P。M。　with　only　an　hour's　intermission。　　He

studied　the　six　Latin　and　two　Greek　books　prescribed；　he　did　some

Latin　composition　unaided；　brushed　up　his　mathematics；　and　learnt

something　of　the　history　of　Greece　and　Rome。　　In　October；　after

five　months　of　hard　work；　he　underwent　an　examination　for　the

scholarship；　and　obtained　it；　beating　his　opponent　by

twenty…eight　marks　in　a　thousand。　　He　then　went　up　to　the　Scotch

University　and　passed　all　the　examinations　for　his　ordinary　M。A。　

degree　in　two　years　and　a　half。　　On　his　first　arrival　at　the

University　he　found　that　he　could　not　sleep；　but　he　wearily　yet

victoriously　plodded　on；　took　a　prize　in　Greek；　then　the　first

prize　in　philosophy；　the　second　prize　in　logic；　the　medal　in

English　literature；　and　a　few　other　prizes。



〃He　had　40L。　when　he　first　arrived　in　Scotland；　and　he　carried

away　with　him　a　similar　sum　to　Germany；　whither　he　went　to　study

for　honours　in　philosophy。　　He　returned　home　with　little　in　his

pocket；　borrowing　money　to　go　to　Scotland；　where　he　sat　for

honours　and　for　the　scholarship。　　He　got　his　first　honours；　and

what　was　more　important　at　the　time；　money　to　go　on　with。　　He　now

lives　on　the　scholarship　which　he　took　at　that　time；　is　an

assistant　professor；　and；　in　a　fortnight；　will　begin　a　course　of

lectures　for　ladies　in　connection　with　his　university。　　Writing

to　me　a　few　days　ago；＇13＇　he　says；　'My　health；　broken　down　with

my　last　struggle；　is　quite　restored；　and　I　live　with　the　hope　of

working　on。　　Many　have　worked　more　constantly；　but　few　have

worked　more　intensely。　　I　found　kindness　on　every　hand　always；

but　had　I　failed　in　a　single　instance　I　should　have　met　with

entire　bankruptcy。　　The　failure　would　have　been　ruinous。。。。　I

thank　God　for　the　struggle；　but　would　not　like　to　see　a　dog　try

it　again。　　There　are　droves　of　lads　in　Wales　that　would　creep　up

but　they　cannot。　　Poverty　has　too　heavy　a　hand　for　them。'〃



The　gentleman　whose　brief　history　is　thus　summarily　given　by　Mr。

Davies；　is　now　well　known　as　a　professor　of　philosophy；　and；　if

his　health　be　spared；　he　will　become　still　better　known。　　He　is

the　author　of　several　important　works　on　'Moral　Philosophy；'

published　b