The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28

might be related are almost infinite. Mr..
Tyson was not the only one of the early
pastoralists in the back country of Aus
tralia who learned to live alone till they al
most lost the use of the ordinary speech of
human intercourse. But his long and lonely
life in which there was no time to spare
from arduous work for the formation of
friendship or any of the common ties, no
thought of seeking or enjoying any of the
ordinary elements of human happiness, no
that which impeed him to the ever-expand-
ing, though peaceful, conquest of fresh ter
ritory. is typical of the instructive energy
by which the borders of the empire have
been enlarged. He was entirely Australian.
and had no experience beyond the limits of
the Australian colonies. At seventy-one
years of age, having never had holiday In
his life, he entertained for a time the
thought of winding up his affairs and start
ing to see the world before he died, but
finally condemned his own project as being
too idle and self-indulgent.
His life. except for the activity of his
work, which obliged hun to spend the great
er part of his time in Journeys from one end
of Australia to the other the life of a
recluse. He formed no special friendships
with men, and had the reputation of being
a woman-hater The reputation was prob
ably no better founded than the reputation
for miserlness with which he was also ac-
credited. His attitude toward women, based
avowedly on very narrow experience. was
more properly to be described as indiffer-
ence than hate. He thought that they
needed more robustness and simplicity alike
of body and mind. Wives generally. he held
were fond of dress and had scolding tenn
pers, and were spiteful to other women.
They seemed to him to be bred in such a
way that they had their minds full of small
things. and he summed it all up in the opin-
ion that 't is deal for husbands to bear
AT the same time he described himself as
one whom a woman who had been any way
kind to him might have twisted round her
finger. For which reason he thought that
it was for the best that he had not mar
ried. A wife would, he supposed. have
wanted him to settle down and do as other
men, and waste his time, which would have
been a pity, for my work would not have
been done" tie preferred to be alone, and
had always gone, he said, from first to last
single-handed. AS for friendship. he would
not take the time for it; he could not be
wasting his days.
Asked, toward the end of his life. whether
ne mad ever been happy, ne replied with a.
certain brave simplicity: Sufficiently so;
| am persuaded that attainment is moth
ing, the pleasure is in the pursuit and I
nave been pursuing all my life. Yes, l con-
slider that L have been happier than most
men,. He was kind though strict employ
er, just and exact paymaster and pune
tual in the performance of all duties that
he recognized Having read little and in
few but practical problems with his fellows
he had arrived by mere process of silent
cogltatlon ?t many of the conclusions &C.
cepted in the more advanced circles of Eng
lish thought. On questions of religion his
creed was as simple and effective as the
rest of his life. With theology he would not
concern himself. 1T amt my business do
what l think seriously right; stand to
take my chance, and have no fear"