The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-12-10

I miscellaneous writings, was gradually |
pushing himself forward as one Of the
most energetic and able advocates OF
( the new doctrines.
Best Of all, Mr. Spencer lived to see
4 the world, which on its lower but more
numerously populated levels had been
inclined to boot at him, turn around
and applaud him as one Of the greatest
intellectual leaders of his time. His
elghtieth birthday, in 1900, was greet
ed with a chorus Of praise in which all
the civilized world joined.
But it is praise more than pudding
which Mr.. Spencer received from the
civilized world lie once wrote that
for the FIRST twenty years his publish
ing, instead OF enrching him, cost him
money Even at the rosiest part Of his
later period the philosophers bank
book looked petty enough compared
with that of any popular novelist who
happened to be the fad Of the hour
Mr.. Spencer never desired riches, but
he felt sadly bampered by his inability
to make money sufficient for the pur-
pose Of continuing his studies at ease,
and there was a bitter ring to his pref
ace to sThe Principles Of Psychology
In which he found that up to that time
he had been materially impoverished
| BY his published works.
should the day ever come" he con
ciuaes. wnen the ioye Tor the person
alities of history Is less and the desire
for its instructive facts greater those
4 who occupy themselves in picking out
the gold from the dross will perhaps
be aBe to publish their results without
inhicting on themselves losses too griey-
Gus to be borne nay. may possibly re-
ceiye some thanks for their pains"
1t was but natural perhaps that Her
bert Spencer should be one Of the most
simple aud transformations OF men. He
repeatedly declined academic honors
from universities and colleges and tit
ular honors Which Queen Victoria was
willing 10 bestow upon him with, 1t
must be confessed, a somewhat niggard
hand. She who made Disraeh an earl
never offered TO make Herbert Spencer
anything higher than baronet But
in truth the earldom would have been
even more distasteful to him than the
baronetey
A friend, writing of him as he was
in his first appearance in London in
lS4S, says thar with his ruddy com
plexion and vigorous frame he gave
the impression Of being young conn
try gentleman Of tile sporting farmer
class. When discussion arose. how
ever, he gave hint Of his quality. His
manner was earnest, and be argued as
a man who had carefully thought out
his convictions
At this time Herbert Spencer, having
given up civil engineering because the
crash in railroad enterprises had forced
him out of work. was subeditor on
the London Economist and contrib
utor to the Leader weekly paper es-
tablshed by Thornton Hunt and
George Henry Lewes.
| Thornton Hunt was son 0f Leigh
Hunt, but ii chiefly remembered as tho
man who ran away with Lewes first
wife and thus established il iustltlca.
tion for Lewes subsequent relations
with the brilliant woman now famous
as George Eliot
1t was Herbert Spencer, however.
who first presented George Lewes to
George Eliot. The latter was then
(1S50) a subeditor on the Westminster
Review, living in the family Of the edi-
tor, Dr. John Chapman Herbert Spen-
Ger was her great friend, and he Ger
tainly did as much rs IeWes himself
to awaken and stimulate her intellf
gence 1t is said that he was in love
with her 1t il only certain that be was
never in love with any one else and
that he never married.
In his early days Spencer had shown
inventive talent. He constructed a vel
ocimeter, to indicate the speed Of loco
motives, and long before Francis Gal
ton produced composite photographs
Spencer had suggested the idea and
pointed out its value. During the last
! illness Of his mother, to whom he was
deyotedly attached, he invented for her
a bed which moved in any direction at
a touch. Likewise he was something
Of q painter and rather more of sing
er, possessing in the latter capacity
strong bass voice Of good timbre, He
continued to sing as an amateur in part
music until III health forbade the exer-
ton.
1t is recorded that on good mornings
he could produce as many as a thou
sand words. They were poured out
naturally, with no apparent effort. but
rather slowly. Evidently they had been
thought over and arranged in bis mind
during the previous afternoon and
night, for he rarely used notes But
this first draft was not allowed to 80
TO the printer At the end Of fort
night Or 50 Of dietation he would revise
the product. substituting short words