New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-17
CHARLES KINGSLEY.
A MAN OF SYMPATHY.
CANON FARRAR's REcoILECrIoNs OF THE Auruo.
OF "HYPATIA.n
Coosorjohf 1893

Wellington College. now Archbishop of Canterb,,,
had Como there to preach sermon to the BOYS ara
one of those boys was Kingsleys eldest son. On oos
Of the evenings of my stay Kingsley was In vitel IA
meet me- He was then, as he was during the CREATE,
part of his life. Rector of Eyersley aud Eversos
within easy and pleasant walk Of the college A,
that time he was about thirty eight years old and
he was far from strong. l remember his sayius
that the writing OF q Hypatia" had greatly strained
his powers The doctors told him, he said that thu
effort had exhausted tho phosphorus in his brain
| and he hidden to lie in bed later than usual
and to eat plentyo of fish. Even then his face had a
| worn look, and it was evident that he suffered al
times from fits of severe depression. 1t was inyos.
sbe to SEQ him without recognizing at ganc.
| that he was ordinary The likeness at thu
| beginning OF his biography and the bust in West
minister Abbey will recall his aspect TO those whc
did not know him, but neither painting nor sculpt.
ure ever give that expression OF the eyes-ther
brightness and their intensity which was the most
remarkable part of his personal appearance Sey.
eral of his friends have rightly described it as an
eagle look" and it expressed some of the finest
| qualities of the man. 1t is a happy circumstance
for Wellington College that the history of its early
| days will always be associated with the name Of
so eminent and beloved neighbor. On one of the
| evenings that was there he preached to the boys
| in the large dormitory with its windows covered
| with diaphane which served as o Temporary
chapel. Even at this distance OF time wildly re-
call the long lines of boysh faces as they were
| turned toward the preacher who addressed them
| with such homely power and feryent simplicity
The slight stamner which rather added to than do
tracted from the interest OF his conversation was
| never observable In Kingsleys preaching. Tho
sermon on this occasion was think, unwritten;
but the preacher tried to speak straight to the under
Of n1in and fba Of hta haor
| and he succeeded admirably remember how in
| enforcing upon them the duty of mutual Kindness.
and especially of tenderness to the weak and the
that they must not sink to tho level Of the Young
hounds in kennel which invariably tormented any
one of their number winch happens 81 70 Ue seny OF
house through the long corridor. kingseys eldest
boy. then about thirteen years old, came up TO u.s.
and slipping his hand into the hand OF his father,
| said to him IN loud whisper, Oh, father, what
| jolly semonp Probably the boy was echoing the
verdict OF all his companions. and DO formal cola.
piment could have expressed higher tribute TO the
| real effectiveness Of the preachers words
Kingsley had not only been exhausted by tho
| writing of "Hypatia," but think that he had also
suffered mentally from the severity had almost
| said the brutaty-of many OF the criticisms which
had been passed upon that powerful an d exquisite
| of his death-he received letter from clergyman
in which he spoke warmly Of the help which he had
| Kingsley, atouched me deeply. Hypatia
was written with my hearts blood and was
|
very churchmen whom was trying to warn and
| save" Both on this and other occasions when had
| the pleasure OF meeting him, was struck by Kings
| leys sadness. No one think can read his biogra-
ply without seeing That his lite enriched as it
| by 80 many gifts and surrounded by many perfect
| blessings, was yet overloaded by melancholy
| There were doubtless some causes Tor this sadness
which do not appear IN his biography, and which iE
| no way concerned the public TO know. So fai
| rs | can judge from the biographies of men whom
| have known intimately, no mans real life is, OF
| ever can be- written. But one obvious cause i0I
| the low spirits from which Kingsley often suffered
is to he found in these constant attacks from those
| whom he most desired to benefit. Perhaps when
| first met him l-health made him less buoyant than
usual. Surrounded as we were by the lads who
| were forming the tradition of young school. we
naturally talked about boylsh years. expressed
my own belief that the majority OF boys pass happy
tirely differed from me- He said that he had noe
been happy as a boy. and he doubted whether most
men were so happy IN early years as they often be-
| came after middle life
| No one however, felt keener sympathy with
| boys than he did He freely conversed with them,
enjoyed their society. and entered heartily into all
| their sports and plans At Wellington he used 10
organize their paper chases~ aid long runs"
aud would sometimes himself accompany them no
least part Of the way on foot horseback. lie
had no small share m organizing the amusemens of
those Young h9ouns mis- as they were called by
the freshly carvel inscription which runs over the
gate OF their college lie also delighted to awaken
their attention to the natural history of the beant
ful English county in which their stately ediGce
was built. It Is now To a great extent surrounded
by buildings. but IN those days 1t stood absolutely
alone amid the mOorand and fir woods IN which
few eyes would have seen the infinite charm which
KINGSLEY saw in them, and which certainly no zen
could have described more felIctouSy than he bas
done III his charming idyl called :" by Wnte
Garden"
All through his life the love of nature was one
of the strongest safeguards and richest delights of
kingSieys nature. lie loved the and sights OF
the outer world with the combined enthuasm OF
naturalist and OF poet. He saw in the beauty and
magnitcence OF the material world the immediate
autograph of God, and the striking demonstration
OF Ills love aud care for man. He had few sources
Of inward happiness superior to this. When he was
going to Spain with Mr.. Froude no wrote TO tell
him that he would not lie in his way, because " can
amuse myself in any hedge with plants and insects
and you may leave me any where any long es, Tam
slant effort To inspire all around him with the same
feeling This is one purpose of many OF ms WRITINGS
-Iescriptions unsurpassed for brightness and del:
icacy-n which his novels abound. TIC made III paH
of the secret of his influence ut Eversley and among
tho boys at WELLINGTON College and st'll more az
Chester. The natural history society which ne
formed at Chester was the nucleus of his WORK
there. The free and kindly intercourse which II In
volyed was the secret of the fascination which liz
exercised over the .yonng men OF that city, aud
to leave so ineiaceable IN impression
| had not the happiness to know Charles Kingsley
intimately. l only used TO meet him at rare ntep
walls and incidentally. lie once asked he to como
and stay with hun at Eversley. and have always
deeply regretted that did not make greater effort
to accept the invitation. His manner to me was
always kind. and his remarks about my writings
were encouraging. Another regret which feel IS
that | never worked with him as a colleague 40
Westminster | was appointed to a CanOncy the
year after his premature and amented death b9t
| came 10 Westminster when as Dean Stanley sad.
one would still nudge of the elects OF his residences
from the glow theft behind every heart and lace
the glow the hills after the sun has just SET
have never known or heard of any man, except
Stanley himself who could i'll so short time nave
lett behind him so deep and loving memory. lbe
whole stall Dl the Abbey the Dean. the Canons,
the Minor Canons the Choristers-oSsn the Guides
and Vergers learned i'll those brief weeks TO admire
and love him. His large human sympathy embraced
them all. In the humbest of his fellow-workers
no veuerated the dignity Of q manhood for which
Christ died. lilo was only Canon for two years,
and even of this short period SIX months were spent