Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-09
HERBERT SPENCER.
Continued from page ~

gy, in which he found that up to that
time he had been materially impover-
| ished by his published works.
Should the day ever come,'' he con-
cludes, when the love for the PERSONAL
tiles of history is less and the desire for
its instructive facts greater those who
occupy themselves on picking out the
gold from the dIoss VIII perhaps be able
to publish their results without inflict-
ing on themselves losses too grievous to
be borne-nay, may possibly receive
SINE thanks for his pains"
Herbert Spencer was one of the most
simple and transformations of men. lie
repeatedly declined academic honors
from universities and colleges and titu-
lar honOrs which Queen Victoria was
| willing to bestow upon him, with, it
| must be confessed, somewhat niggard
hand. She who made Disraeil an earl
| never offered to make Herbert Spencer
| anything higher than Il baronet. But
| in truth the earldon would have been
more distasteful to him than the baro-
netey.
A friend writing of him as he was in
his first appearance in London in 1SiS,
says that with his rudy complexion and
vigorous frame he gave the impression
. of being young country gentleman Of
the sporting farmer class. when dis
cussion arose, however, he gave hint Of
his quality. His manner was earnest ana
he 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 a sub-editor on the
London Economist, and a contributor to
the Leader. a weekly paper established
by Thornton Hunt and George Henry
Lewes.
Hunt, but is chiefly remembered as the
man who ran away with Lewes' first
wife, and thus established a justification
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 Then latter was then dS3)) q sub
editor on the Westminster Review. living
in the family of the editor. DR.. John Chap
man. Herbert Spencer was her great
friend, and he certainly did as much as
| I.ewes himself to awaken and stimulate
her intelligence. 1t is said that he was in
love with her. 1t is only certain that he
was never in love with anyone else and
that he never married.
| In his early days Spencer had shown in
| ventive talent. He constructed a veloci-
meter to indicate the speed of locomo
| tives. and long before Francis Cation
produced composite photographs Spencer
had suggested the idea and pointed out
its value. During the last illness of his
mother, to whom he was devotedly at
tached. he invented for her bed which
moved in ANY direction at a touch Like
wise he was something of a painter and
! rather more of singer, possessing in the
good timbre. He continued to sing as an
amateur in part music until i'll health
forbade the eXertiOn.
1t is recorded that on good mornings he
could produce as much as thousand
| words. They were poured out naturally
with no apparent effort. but rather slow
ly Evidently they had been thought over
! and arranged in his mind during the pre-
vious afternoon and night. for he rarely
used notes. But this first draught was
not allowed to go to the printer. At the
end of fortnight or so of dic diet , he
| short words for big. pruning away I'M
necessary sentences and generally simpll-
| flying the text.
occasional lapses into sickness. the daily
average of words when he was in his
prime was reduced to about 325.
| He was never a great reader. Indeed,
he was wont to say that if he read as
much as other people he would know as
little as they. But he had an astonishing
| faculty for absorbing knowledge from
others Also he knew how to exact from
data, so as to spare himself for the or
ganizing work he alone could do.
The attending physician certifes that
| Herbert Spencer died of senile decay.
The distinguished writer. having no near
relatives living. was attended by nurse
and his secretary BY his own request the
| remains will be brought to London and
| crema ted at Hampstead.
Nothing is known of the extent of the
autobiography of Herbert Spencer which
| it is understood he has been writing dur
| ing recent years.