The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1886-04-13 00:00:00

BRIDPORT.

W. IL FORSTER. - A PERSONAL
REHINISCENCE.

(By Mr. Holton Buchanan, in the Pull Mall Ofiatlf.)
It was at Fryston Hall, in Yorkshire, the seat of
th• late Lord Houghton, that I first met the eminent
slatettruut who is lb* subject of this slight personal
sketch.
A tall unwieldy form, a craggy face and brow,
&report piercing eye., and • deo% not ton musical,
voice, were the peculiaritieswhich-first struck me in
the man who stood egicring his shoulders on the
hearthrug, and talking to me like an old friend. Had
I not known him well by reputation, I should hare
taken him for some yeoman fanner er otalwart herde
mass of the dales. I found, somewhat to my utonish•
ment, that he knew Trte in connection with certain
journalistic work which I had done, of no importance
in itself, but which bad attracted his attention as a
, politician. Before the night was "lit we talked on
many themna—or niche!. I ahould rather say that
he talked and I learned, nsfmr to catch the living
I utterance t.f a man whom I had long reverenced for
I his simplicity of life, hia independence, and hie noble
I Christian charity. What atnick me at once were his
utter freedom from affectation. his bluff, uncom•
promising honesty, anti his grim eenige of humour.
Although I was an many years hi,, jonior, and a mere
cipher in a world where he was a leading figure, lie
spoke to me AA 11. rile pimple and unknown farmer,
with strong opinion" of his own but becoming
mchety, might speak to &chance visitor who ANN ill
scary respect his ritual. A man so eminent, and yet
a, modest, was a novelty to one who had lived his life
among pretentious reputations). I found, as I hal
expected, that this rough hewn and simple-mingled
man, a dalegoigan in Arposralifie and in speech, hail a
rialmenan's simple faith in the sternal verities which
chain pitilmophy has sought in von) Co &wind%
T warn not the least astoniahed, afterward., to
find his ateteamsechip leaning aympothetically,
much to the horror of «strew, Radicals, in
the direetion of religions erbication g and I rrinetia•
!emit in this connection that orangoly pathetic
exclamation of his, chronicled by Iferriet Martineau
—"I would rather Is damned than annihilated !"
?to, (earl«ni honesty, the unasciming manlinec, and
the !Adm. indeperlflenee 0( Mr. Forger were horn
of OW WOW' natl.,, which endowed him with such
Igreat moral mid iysisolc..onige. Those who know
best are swore how that coinage !.;:ail put to the test
when. with his very life in his hano, to, went for the
...eon.) time to !rebind —not, as in the first oCCAIII,I.,
iseciflAillt himself personally with the oorronful
&tads igf a famine, but to legislate am Chief
deg.n.t.ary and feel the godse of the lever•iseceecti
164t1011. Again and again he was in iingninent danger
„C ; once, at least, only a miracle saved
hint Yet, aa Is well known, lie utterly Accented
le,iiee protection, •flei went alpine in calm indilfer.
eggre to the warnings which were ~i..,aa.riil upon him.
After our first !fleeting at Fryston Hall, we %et again
from time to time in leindon, and freineittly corns
ponded, I had practical proof ed hi, sympathy when.
lOMP yews gaterwarila, I was under the painful
nenesity of pmweintisig • literary journal for a aeries
',Gaels, and lion oiler tostia.letta. Agoin end again,
when I nesiesi a friend's advice aid a wise man's
guidanre, I fiord both in Mr. Former. Later 'ing
when he was Chief Serrettsre for !rebind, he showed
an saw, intereet and sympathy with the book. on
Trish them. written by in, sigiter.in.law, and
pert egdarly in ltai "Prieat'a Dimming ;" and one of
my latest communications from him wail a
cordial invitation for ins both In vied him at
Secretary's Lodge in Dublin. After
the .plendul l"it not too glowing claret', joist
Paid to tide great anti good 'flan in the House
Commons. it is pleasant to renwmiger the terne in
which invariably spoke of Mr. filatiatone. I
remember on olte loreaeintl, when we were together,
exprecing my wonder at the ahmig.like docility with
which certain politicians lottopad the changes of Mr.
Illarlstone.e aoinewhet chameleon's n'ititi. Mr.
"%greter.' reply wile an enthusimitie tribute the
irgwer• of ',enema! in %yogic') p cieesed by the letlet
~f the Liberal ',say No ime, sin!. emild tinder
titand it who 1.•111.• Witioll it• direct intimate«,
hitt it tiliggi strong' nom with the kind 'if eentinomt
with which ',rt.'', InAkflietia liAttart 1111/..1e women.
His own tone towards Mr. liladatame we, ~ne of
tender and resmetfoil Affection, Oren irtorA 1.. was
nimpelled to diger fnim hitn most and when at lost
they fell Atillider on Imperial questiona, he felt the
actiteet tiersenal pain. Everts mutt prove very scin,
oner and for seer, whether is N. 4 l(r. Fonder erred
in breeking with his 'nester. For nay owls part, I
Mgiere he did not err hut let it always le routine.
beret that the man whe saw no mire for Irish rine
content but sharp, swift, and unshrinking justice,
was the man who, more than most, was capable of
sympathy with the Irish temperanient, and who had
proved by practioal eel( sacrifice, his deep interest
In the Irish nation. Mr. Forster. though he
was the very soul of human kindness,
though his would hays patted with his last shilling
1., assist the marring, wax sett • sentimentalist.
11. had the keen, penetrating vision of a mut of the
world, or • man of the people In Lincoln's piece he
would have played Lincoln'apart: firm and unyielding
to the end in the cause of duty. though tender
thronghout to the cause of Immo,. Ilia heroin
nature rebelled at the infamies done in the nanie
Trish nationality. 110 IVAA taken from his poet at the
very moment when he was moat needed: and all the
world "now. what followed. 'flat kelrn,,t. to Mr.
Forster's character vIAA, At I have already suggested.
it. deep and constitutional natural piety. In every
conversation we had together this note ever sounded
nimermmt and whether tne subject of diecucion
was polities. or philowgighy, or general literature, he
always spoke as our with a yeoman's faith in
practical religion. In ell tic great question. which
modern scientific imecalation has opined up for its,
h.. took a nmattnt intermit. Books attracted bin)
chiefly where they touched on the great mysterious
fame of human life and death. Thus, though he
war, the most practical mliticiam., he remained
with the last one who breathed an atmosphere fsr
removed from Mas tif " angry Politico
Gentle, sane, and nisi,. to looked to • Light higher
than the light ef human intaitain to guide all his
thoughts, and to sanction all his soma t cid we may
be sure that Light shone non him when, • few days
ago, he was gathered to his rest, honoured by men
of all parties save one only, and leaving behind him,
in the world he brightened, troops of known and
outmost friends.