New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-06
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
BY CHARLES t. CoNGDoN.
JOSEPH BARKER.

drawn titles "The History and Confessions vi
Man As put forth by Himself, showing no" Ut DC
came Methodist and a Methodist preacher, anu
how "a he grew older. he gave up part Oh Ihe
Methodist belief and was expelled ana giving
frue view of Methodsm on both sl1es, the Iair as
well as the foul, the bright as well as the DARK,
together with long and wonderful account of
many other matters worthy to be read and thought
upon Wortley: Printed and sold by j. Barker
md bv all his agents. Chapman Brothers, London
1s46n Somebody had written with pencil upon
this elaborate and lattudnous ttle-page: Joseph
Barker" The colophon was End of Volume one,
but nothing else about the book indicated that
there was to be another volume. Who was Joseph
Barkeri / ind this question asked in The London
Spectator, July %, 1881, aprOpos of critical
notice of book with the following title "Ihe
Life of Joseph Barker. Written by himself
Edited by His Nephew, John Thomas Barker.
With Steel Portra it. London. $780, imme-
diatey sent to London for this book, and upon its
reception found it to be revised imprint OF the
anonymous work first mentioned with additions
There is no notice whatever in the preface to the
new book of the publication of 1876, while either
MIR. Barker or his editor had greatly modified the
original text The latter seems from his preface 10
be under the impression that his uncle Joseph did
not know how to write. Much has been eliminated
which | had found interesting, and especially what
AIR. Barker had said of egotism, and which. in
an auto biographical SERIES think worth quoting;
SAs for the charge of Egotism, reckon little OF
that. Things are not always faulty because they
happen to he egotistical. In other words, person
NAV sneak in the first person, he may say, did
this and thought that, and did the other with
out beng at all egotistca in the offensive sense OF
the word Kgotism is the Latin word for I-ism;
and what | mean is that I-ism is not always
wrong: it is sometimes better than He-'Sm. III II
when man boasts sets himself forward as more
than he is that his I-ism becomes offensive" DO
not see why anybody should have suppressed THIS
characteristic and philosophicaly sound passage
nor why this should have been left out: also
want my children to know my history. there are
many things IN my history which think will do
them good. which will tend to make them stu
dious fond of knowledge industrious, chaste,
sober religious lovers of God and lovers of men,"
In considering Barker's character and career, l
shall use both volumes, merely promising that /
prefer that which has been unpublished, whether
by Barker himself OF by his nephew, whose edition
Is very irritating and slovenly performance.
Joseph Barker was born in 1906, at Bramley, IN
The West Riding of Yorkshire. His parents forgot
his birthday be was inclined to believe that 1t was
upon the lth of May. But that" he says, was
OF little moment. l Das born and II the llth OF
Nav was not the time, it was near the time" He
reader that his ancestors to him of little conse-
uuence His father, originally a ciother, enlisted
in the militia and "marched up and down the
country for a number of years." These militia
soldiers were used more cruelty and barshly than
The regulars: some logged to death, or dled
soon after logging; and some were logged or
drummed out of the regiment, and then left IN the
hands of press gang to be carried on board man
pf-war. Barker's description of his mother Is
touching and credtabe to his heart: She had
been born and brought up in the midst OF hafdshlp
and SORROW but she was a Lively ana spuled
woman. and very strong and lasting in her love.
And she could read and write. and sing and spin.
and make old clothes look almost as well as new,
and make home with but little furniture and little
fire look nearly as comfortable richer dwellings.
She ,ras clean both IN her soul and body and she 'ras
cednls in her ,odys and manners. She was very fond
of her husband though little inclined to be mdsterat;
and she was unutterably fond of her children"
will it be believed that the fine strong words which
nave italicised are left out of the new versionf
Bankers father fell among the Methodists OF
Kent. and began to be religious. He learned with
difficulty to read and write. When his wife actu-
ally got a letter from him, she was oyerpowered
that she went out into lonely place to weep"
She became Methodist Also and so they sang and
prayed. talked and read together. But it was
KIND of religion, am sorry to say, which did not
bring much solid comfort. My father and
mother" says Barker "spent a considerable part
of their lives troubled, alarmed, perpleXed Devil
6ered writing bitter things against themselves
charging themselves with unbelef; hnding fault
with their own hearts, charging themselves with
being hard, deceitfu and desperately wicked and
at times though believe they were too good to do
1t often or seriously entertaining hard thoughts OF
God Himself" Thus they wrestled for sanctihca-
zion Barker says that they were both believers Id
witchcraft and fairies. and he complains III the
Methodist ministers never preached against these
nfoolish and miserable notions" which must nave
seriously tormented a woman Z" who could not DeaI
10 hear child cry" The infant Barker cried a
great deal and was queied with Godirey's Cordial
though his mother had the good sense soon to give
MP the use of that nostrum. His whole account OF
his childhood is extremely piquant and interesting
md | regret that / am obliged to pass 1t over SO
cursorily 1t was a childhood of great want and
sorrow and even beggary. One brother dlei IN
consequence of hard work and hard fare. But
Barker in spite of his priyations grew mp strong
was fond of boxing and fighting, and often tried
his strength in battles with young persons IKE hiin
SELF though he gave up these puGnaci0us diversions
after he became Methodist as he soon did lie
gives Ms a list of the books which he read-the
Bible, the Pilgrims Progress, Baron Munchausen
Fawcett's Advice to the Young, Robin Hood. and
wonderful 20 relate Dwights System of Theology
At the age of sixteen years he turned his attention
TO Greek and Latin. When he told an old Metho-
dist preacher that he studying grammar, the
answer was: "Thou may well give it up for
thou'lt never learn it; have been at it seven
years and / can't understand it yet; and I'm sure
thou'lt never make aught out in it," All this time
Barker was working some sixteen hours a day in a
cotton mandatory any work. he says, "was
spinning chiefly, but when / was spinning Darp
could contrlve to read and study at the same time
Harm had to be twisted or turned twice thrice
much as the ,ceh. When the thread had been
drawn out to its proper length had to stand till
uaua il from dozen to twenty rounds more