New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-04
A RADICAL.
THE STORY OF A woRKINGMAN.


InrodpstiCn By Henry pqpe nMin d on MC
G.. r. Putnams Sons. New-York
Early Days" and Passages in the Life of a
Rad,car-takng them In contrary order from
that in which he wrote them--form Bamfords
autobiography covering the first ffty-odd years OIL
his life and presenting a striking picture OF
English Industrial life In the first half of the nine
teenth century II is the history Of common
,aborer who was by turns a warehouse porter,
sailor and a hand-loom silk-weaver. But he Wac
not merely a laborer with all a laborers burdens
and vIcissitudes and circumscribed horizon He
had most engaging personality. However much
or little he was educated In the schools. he was a
notably intelligent boy and man. He was shrewd
and apprec.ative observer Of all that occurred
about him. He had an amazingly retentive men,
ory He had the rare gift Of being able to relate
vast mass Of details without for a moment appear
ing to be a mere mechanical recorder; able also
to marshal and to consider those details In con-
eonance with broad general principles
He had a true literary instinct and keen sense
of humor and was capital story-teller HIS
narrative is a purely personal one yet it is alto
cether free from egotism and st:aining after
effect He describes his follies and msdoings,
some of which were serious enough, just as frank
" and fully as of his worthy achievements. He
obeys TO the letter Cromwelrs command to the
Inner Paint me as | am and he does It, with
al so modesty and with so little self-conscious-
ness that the reader is at times surprised to find
him writing In the first person instead of In the
third.
The literary tastes and trainings Of this extraor-
binary man may be briefly indicated by making
few quotations from his Early Days" When
he was working in Stafford as porter. at the adj
vanced wages of eight shllings week." great
thing occurred to him:
was delighted by the acquisition Of two books.
the existence of which. until then. had been un-
known to One was the second volume OF
"Homer's Had" translated by Alexander Pope
with notes by Nine. Dacier and the other was
small volume of Miscellaneous Poems by John
Milton Homer read with an absorbed attention
which soon enabled me t. commit nearly every
line to memory. The perusal created in me pro-
found admiration of the old heather heroes. ana a
strong desire to explore the whole of 'the tale or
Troy divine" To the deep melancholy of the con-
GLIDING lines | fully responded
Be this the song slow moving towrd the shore,
Hector Is dead. and lion Is no more
With Milton was both saddened and delighted.
His "I,AilegrO" and III PenserOso" were but the
expression Of thoughts and feelings when my 70
mantle imagination had not unfrequently LED me
10 indulge. but which. until now had deemed be-
yond human utterance.
He renewed these delights after he had made a
voyage at sea. and had come home to get married.
and was porter a salary of guinea a week:
4 had opportunities Tor redClnS man! pppho "a
which had only heard the names before. such as
RObertsons History Of Scotland, goldsmith 5
History of England" Rollins Ancient history,
Gibbons Decline and Fall OF the roman EN-
pre" Anacharsiss Travels In Greece and many
other works on travel, geography and antiquities
] also enlarged my acquaintance with EnGlsn
literature read JohnsOns Lives Of the Poets.
and consequence, many OF their productions
also. MaCphersOn's "Ossian." while IL gave me a
glimpse of our most ancient lore interested my
feelings and absorbed my attention. also bent
my thoughts on more practical studies and at one
time had nearly the whole OF Lndley Murray $
Grammar stored in my memory although /
never so far benefited by 1t as to become ready at
parsing publication Of different description
also fell in my way Mr.. Hole was a reader OF
Cobbetts Weekly Register" and as constantly
the tract lying on the desk AT the beginning or
the week. at length read II. and found within IT'S
pages far more matter for reflection than from its
unattract!ve title and appearance, had expected
10 find there. The nervous and unTnistakaoe Eng
lish of that work there was no wthstandng.
thenceforth became as constant reader OF Con-
belts writings as was my Master hlInseIi, aIi ,
was soon probably, a more ardent admirer or MS
doctrines than my employer. AS generally
attended the counting house when the booAkeeper
and salesman absent-uness called out by
other emplOyment-l had many opportunities Tor
these perusais | seldom, indeed. failed to eX-
anime whatever book found upon the desk and
81 happened TO be left 10 lock UP at noon, which
would sometimes be the case, would hasten to
the next shop and buy a cold lunch fer dinner
thence return to the warehouse and lock myself
in, that might have opportunity for examin-
ing some book which had attracted my attention
And in this way. during nearly all the four years
which passed in the employ Of this firm. cor
tinued to examine or to read every book which feE
in my way, which could readily procure.
HIS first essays at writing were in rhyme. and
indeed he always considered himself more OF a
poet than prose writer-a deluslon common to
many other men Of more pretentious rank than he,
and as vain in their cases as in his The first MS.
he ventured to offer for publication was a bit Of
verse in Lancashire dialect. He sent it to The
Manchester Gazette:
| put IT in the letter-box. and the Saturday
following a note TO correspondents desired the
writer TO call at the office. Accordingly, on an
evening OF the week following. |, in a state Of mind
betwixt doubt ard assurance. called. and was
shown into a room, where | awaited the appear
ance of the literary solon as If death or fate had
depended on the issue. At length he came man
about sixty years of age; II middle height and
somewhat fat and fussy; his complexion was a
little rubicund his nose. with spectacles on II,
somewhat snubby; his eyes. as he looked under or
over the glasses, gray and piercing; and his gen.
eral appearance and manner that Of one possess
ing power and disposed to il in his own way.
well, young man said he. holding his head
back and looking at me. what is the business you
are come upon
/ said was come about piece Of poetry.
What poetry" asked he.
1t was a piece entitled "A Trip 10 Oldham" and
the writer was requested 10 call at the of1ce.
Are you the writer OF that he asked.
] said / was.
And how the ID could you expect that I
should give It a place in my papeT?"
said hardly did expect so much as that. but l
hoped to obtain his opinion as TO its merits.
well then, my opinion is that II has no merits
ne said.
said was but young hand at verse making,
and II he would state whether it was the subject
or the manner OF treating i; which rendered the
piece Objectionable should feel obliged.
"Ohl both are Objectionable II IS trumpery
doggerel throughout. Here is your paper. and j
hope you will never offer me any more such.
Saying which, he took up the candle. and went out
Of the place. leaving me 10 grope my way down
the lobby and out at the door we'll as could.
Such was the first reception which my verses
met with from Manchester editor. Sorely, In
deed my expectations disappointed, and
sadly hunbled was my ambition. yet was not
disheartened. This being failure. ] said 10
4.