New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-02
TYNDALL'S YOUTH.
SOME PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES.

lar habits, moi caring for either pipe or mug, may
extract from pay like this.
Then came a pause, and after il the mad time
OF the railway mania, when was able 10 turn 70
some account the knowledge gained upon th'
Ordnance Survey. In StaifOrdshlre, CheShlre,
lancashire Durham and Yorkshire, more Is
pecially the last, IN the thick of the fray
IL was a time Of terrible toll. The days WORK IN
the field usually began and ended with the day S
light. while frequently in the Office there was
little difference between day and nlcht, every
hour of the twenty-four beng absorbed IN the
work OF preparation. strong men were Dfo oxen
down by the strain and labor Of that arluous
time. Many pushed through and are stili among
MS in robust yieor. Bat some collapsed, while
others retired, with large fortunes ii IS truc, out
with mtcllecis - shattered that instead of tax
ing thVr places in the front rank of English
statesmen, Us their abilities entitled them TO do,
they sought rest for their brains IN the quiet
lives Of country gentlemen. In my own modest
sphere. / well remember the reircshment occa-
sionaly derived from five minutes sleep. on a
deal table with BabbIge and CalctS
"LoCarithms7 under M head for a pillow
IL was time Of mad unrcst-ol downright
mOnOmania. In private residences and punlG
halls, in London TeceptOn-TOOms. in hOtcS and
the stables of hotels, among gypscs ana cost'rc
mongcrs, nothing was spoken of bat the stat, OF
the share Market, the prospects OF projected INES
the good fortune of the hOstlcr or pot boy who
by lucky stroke of business had cleared ten
thousand pounds lligh and low. rich and poor
joined in the reckless game. During my pro
fesSiona connec ton with railways endured three
weeks misery. II was not defeated ambition;
il was not rejected suit il not the hard
ship endured in citacr Office or field; bit il was
the possession of certain shares which had pur-
share list of the day proved thc
winding %5s b s9rG, by my my ,o f>c @ee
Then. as now. | loved the blue span Of heaven:
hut when | found myself regarding il morning
after morning. not with the fresh JOY which. IN
my days of innocence. il had BROUGHT me, but
solely with reference 10 il, possible effect, through
Che harvest, upon the share market, ! became so
savage with myself. that nothing remained but
70 50 down 10 my brokers ana IT, put away INC INC
shares as an accursed thing Thus began and
thus ended, without either gain or loss. my rdii'
way gambling
During this orluous period OF my lfc my oil
tendencies, chief 0"0rg which was The desire I"
grow intellectually, did not iorSIkc me. and IN
lsii. when railway work Sackencd. ! accepted a
post as master in Greenwood College, Ilamp-
shire There | had the pleasure Of meeting
Dr FARMLAND, Who had charge of the chemical
laboratory.
At the time here referred TO. I la6 emerged
from some years Of hard labor tc fortunate
posseSsoI of two or three hundre' pounds Bv
sellin- my services in the dearest market. duIm-
the railway madness. the sum m.cAt. without
dishonor. Lave been made LARGE one. bat |
respected ties which cNIscd prior the time when
oilers became hVlSh and temptation strong.
IN not pu' NY N Inri N napkin. bat cherished
The design of spending II in study az q German
university Rad heard Of Ger nan science. while
tarlycs reference 10 German philosophy and
literature caused me to regard thcr' rs . Kind If
revelation from the gods. Accordingly in the
autumn Of ls+N. fr1nKllnd and ! started for the
town OF Nrburg, IL HesSc-t asset and a very
picturesque town M1rhurc is go.
My. study w1S warmed 10y large stove. At
first ! missed the CLEAN and sparkle from fame
aud emlcr, bat soon became accustomed 10 the
obscure heat. AZ IN the morning a small nilrh-
brod ana cup OF t"a were brought 10 me-. The
DINER hour wds J, and for the first year OF 50
i dried al hotel Our dinner consisted Of So
Cral courses. roast and Boiled. and lin
ished mp with sweets and dessert The
cost was pound month or about
eghtpence FER dinner. | usually lmiicl myself
u one I'll the cou!>c, using even II IN moderation,
being already convinced that eating too much
qultc as sinful and almost - rGinOus Is drinking
too much. Watch and ward were therefore Kept
over tie c-tlr-. By 1ttcndn. 90 such things
was able 10 work without WEAKNESS for sixteen
hours day.
Early rsers are sometimes described as insufcr-
able people They are. IT is sid. sclfrightcous
filled with the Pharsaical lord. ] thank Thee
that am not ~ other men are II may he so
but we have now - deal, not with gcncralz1-
lions, bat VITA facts. Ny going 10 GERMANY had
been opposed h' some OF my friends rs qWNotic,
ana my !i;e there might. perhaps. b" not unfairly
thus described. did not work for money; ! was
not even snurioG IL 'hc last inlrmity If noble
minds. ! had been reading Flrhtc, and Emcr-
son and Carlyle. and had Lccu infected BY me
spirit ~ these great men. Let no one persuade
You That they Wore not great men The Alpha
and omega o.! th,.r teaching Was loyalty to duty
Higher kuoWlcd,c and -reater s;rcngth were within
reach # the man who UHiilnchinsv enacted his
best INSIGHT II was noble doctrine though it
may Sometimes have inspired cNhoustlnC dis
clpincS and Unreliable hopes. Al oil events il
held me to my work. and in Tho long. cold morn
insS Of tie German winter; defended by Schla-
frOc,l lined with catSkin. | usually felt Il fresh
ness ard strength a Joy IN mere living and work
Ing. derived from perfect hcalth-which was some
thing different from the molady Of self-IightcOus-
ness.
attended the lectures of many of the eminent
ncn above mentioned, concentrating my chief at,
trntl?n however on mai nematrs, physics and
tunity of Subicctng these lectures especially
th"sr OF HuuSrn. 10 rpcr Judgment than mine
was NJ that time. | learnt German by listening
10 BunScn, and my knowledge Of the language
increased, the lectures grew more and more faS-
cinatlng. But my interest was alive from Tie
first Tor BunScn was q master of the language of
experiment, thus reaching the mind through The
e'e as well a. through the car The lectures were
full Of matter Notes Of them are still in my
possession, which inform me how full they
and how completely they were kept abreast Of the
most advanced knowledge Of the day. Bunson
was a man Of fine presence, tall handsome. couTtc-
OuS ana without trace Of ailccatiOn or pcdanjry.
lie merged himself in his subject. his exposition
lucid and his language pure: he spoke with
the clear UanoVcrian accent which is so pleasant
20 English ears: ne every inch a gentleman.
After som" experience Of my own. ! still look
back on Bunsen rs the nearest approach 10 my
ideal OF a university teacher, lie sometimes
seemed ahscnt-mindcd. and as hc ga2ed through
the window NJ the massive Elsnhcthcn krchc
appeared 10 bc thinking Of il rather than of his
lecture. But there was no interruption. no halt
ing or stammcring 20 indicate that he had been
for a single moment forcctful. He lcctured every
day In winter. and twice a day in summer. begin
ming bis course on organic chemistry al : IN the
morning. &c..
One Of my experiences AT Marburc may he worth
noting For good while | devoted myself
wholly 90 the ACQUISITION Of knowledge; heard
lectures and worked in The laboratory abrold and
studied hard a. home. When a hoy AT school |
had read an article. probably bv Addison the
importance of order in the distribution Of our
time and for the frs wear = nv time was
ordered stringcntly. specified hours being De
voted 10 special subjects Of study. BIT in pro
cess Of time | began the attempt Of adding 10
fr.nO.x leI Co vol gS GrStI Ia
physical investigation was on subject OF OK
IRENE simplicity hut 10y no means devoid Of s'icn-
fife Observation-Disclosures of a water jet. Among
other things ] roticcd that the musicnl sound Of
cascades and rppling streams. as well aS tie
sororous voice ~ The ocean. mainly if not
wholly due 10 tho breaking Of air blrddcrs
tangled I'm the water. There is no rpDling sound
OF water unaccompanied by bubbles Of air This
inquiry was followed by others Of n more compli-
Gated and difficult kind. Well over and over
again. after work Of this DIES 'ription had begun,
fnlir,l snll