men of invention and industry-第76节

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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　by　a　leading　London　firm；　and　more　works　are　announced

from　his　pen。　　The　victorious　struggle　for　knowledge　which　we

have　recounted　might　possibly　be　equalled；　but　it　could　not

possibly　be　surpassed。　　There　are；　however；　as　Mr。　Davies　related

to　the　Parliamentary　Committee；　many　instances　of　Welsh　students

most　of　them　originally　quarrymenwho　keep　themselves　at

school　by　means　of　the　savings　effected　from　manual　labour；　〃in

frequent　cases　eked　out　and　helped　by　the　kindness　of　friends　and

neighbours；〃　who　struggle　up　through　many　difficulties；　and

eventually　achieve　success　in　the　best　sense　of　the　term。　　〃One

young　man〃as　the　teacher　of　a　grammar…school；　within　two　miles

of　Bangor；　related　to　Mr。　Davies　〃who　came　to　me　from　the

quarry　some　time　ago；　was　a　gold　medallist　at　Edinburgh　last

winter；〃　and　contributions　are　readily　made　by　the　quarrymen　to

help　forward　any　young　man　who　displays　an　earnest　desire　for

knowledge　in　science　and　literature。



It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that　the　quarrymen　of　Carnarvonshire　have

voluntarily　contributed　large　sums　of　money　towards　the

establishment　of　the　University　College　in　North　Walesthe

quarry　districts　in　that　county　having　contributed　to　that　fund；

in　the　course　of　three　years；　mostly　in　half…crown　subscriptions；

not　less　than　508L。　4s。　4d。　〃a　fact；〃　says　Mr。　Davies；　〃without

its　parallel　in　the　history　of　the　education　of　any　country；〃　the

most　striking　feature　being；　that　these　collections　were　made　in

support　of　an　institution　from　which　the　quarrymen　could　only

very　remotely　derive　any　benefit。



While　I　was　at　Bangor；　on　the　24th　of　August；　1883；　the　news

arrived　that　the　Committee　of　Selection　had　determined　that

Bangor　should　be　the　site　for　the　intended　North　Wales　University

College。　　The　news　rapidly　spread；　and　great　rejoicings　prevailed

throughout　the　borough；　which　had　just　been　incorporated。　　The

volunteer　band　played　through　the　streets；　the　church　bells　rang

merry　peals；　and　gay　flags　were　displayed　from　nearly　every

window。　　There　never　was　such　a　triumphant　display　before　in　the

cause　of　University　education。



As　Mr。　Cadwalladr　Davies　observed　at　the　banquet；　which　took

place　on　the　following　day：　〃The　establishment　of　the　new

institution　will　mark　the　dawn　of　a　new　era　in　the　history　of　the

Welsh　people。　　He　looked　to　it；　not　only　as　a　means　of　imparting

academical　knowledge　to　the　students　within　its　walls；　but　also

as　a　means　of　raising　the　intellectual　and　moral　tone　of　the

whole　people。　　They　were　fond　of　quoting　the　saying　of　a　great

English　writer；　that　there　was　something　Grecian　in　the　Celtic

race；　and　that　the　Celtic　was　the　refining　element　in　the　British

character；　but　such　remarks；　often　accompanied　as　they　were　with

offensive　comparisons　from　Eisteddfod　platforms；　would　in　future

be　put　to　the　test；　for　they　would；　with　their　new　educational

machinery；　be　placed　on　a　footing　of　perfect　equality　with　the

Scotch　and　the　Irish　people。〃



And　here　must　come　to　an　end　the　character　history　of　my　autumn

tour　in　Ireland；　Scotland；　Yorkshire；　and　Wales。　　I　had　not　the

remotest　intention　when　setting　out　of　collecting　information　and

writing　down　my　recollections　of　the　journey。　　But　the　persons　I

met；　and　the　information　I　received；　were　of　no　small

interestat　least　to　myself；　and　I　trust　that　the　reader　will

derive　as　much　pleasure　from　perusing　my　observations　as　I　have

had　in　collecting　and　writing　them　down。　　I　do　think　that　the

remarkable　persons　whose　history　and　characters　I　have

endeavoured；　however　briefly；　to　sketch；　will　be　found　to　afford

many　valuable　and　important　lessons　of　Self…Help；　and　to

illustrate　how　the　moral　and　industrial　foundations　of　a　country

may　be　built　up　and　established。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　XII。



＇1＇　A　〃poet；〃　who　dates　from　〃New　York；　March　1883；〃　has

published　seven　stanzas；　entitled　〃Change　here　for　Blairgowrie；〃

from　whi