Rrvieic of Revieun, 1/8/06. 



Character Sketches. 



•53 



A. HEXDERSOX (Durham and Barnard Castle). 



B. 1863, Glasgow. Ed., Public School, Glasgow: 

 Viiluntary School, Xe\vcastle-on-T\ ne. Ore.. 

 1 ronmouldc-r. Rel., Congregational till sixteen, 

 afterwards Weslevan. 



VThen I began my work of a public character it was as 

 a Vres:e.van local preacher, and of necessity much of my 

 time was employed reading sermons — those of Wesley. 

 Spurgeoii. lalmage. Hughes being a few of my first 

 tavourites. Being brought at sixteen years of age into 

 active Church and Social work, and engaged serving my 

 apprenticeship in the foundr.v, my time for exceptional 

 reading was limited. My Bible has ever been an immense 

 lielp, not only for its great mora! influence, but its 

 literary helpfulness, if.v best book has Ijeen my close 

 contact with, and deep interest in, the spiritual, moral, 

 social ami industrial aff,\irs of life, .\hvays full-handed. 

 I have found some of the best reviews i)eli)ful. none more 

 so than your owu. every copj- of which I think I have read 

 since it was first published. — Yours truly, 



A. HEXBEESOX. 



IHX HODGE ^(Lancashire, Gordon). 



B. 1855, Ayrshire. Ed., Ironworks School 

 Grammar School. Occ, Steelsmelter. 

 Evangelical Union, aftenvards Weslevan. 



and 

 Rel., 



As a boy 1 was very fond of reading, more particularly 

 of uewspapers. Thisi taste was due to two causes i—'l) My 

 schoolmas:er s-ave us the Ghimo<r- Doih/ Mali or Herald for 

 reading instead of *" McCullough's Cour-;e." and '-2) read- 

 ing the Pf'ipfe's Friend and daily or weekly newspaper to a 

 fircle who frequently gathered in my fathers house for 

 such purpose, hooks l>eing a scarce commodity in the vil- 

 lage in -which I was brousht up/ I was fortunately placei, 

 however, as a maiden lady, with whom our family were 

 on friendly terms, knowing my weakness for reading, lent 

 me Banyan's works— "The Holy "War." for instance, whicii 

 I read many times. Thackeray's works and Oliver Gold- 

 sniiths. Scott's "Tales of a Grandfather ' were the prin- 

 cipal books I bad the privilege of reading. Later on tlie 

 ■works of Dickens. In addition to this I have read pamph- 

 lets on all conceivable subjects by the score, also the 

 works of Henry Get"ge and literature generally relating 

 to the land: these comprise, I should say. the 8co]>e and 

 extent of my reading until more recent years, when I 

 have to some extent read many books on political economy. 

 I should say, however, whether risbtly or wrongly, that I 

 am more indebted for any knowledge which I possess to 

 the newspaiier press of the country than to anv other 

 source.— Yours faithfully. JOHN HODGE. 



WALTER Hl'DSON. 



E. T852. Xorth Yorkshire. Ed., Xational School. 

 Occ, Railway Guard. Rel, Weslevan. 



The books most useful to me in my earlv days were tbe 

 Bible. Banyan's " Pilgrim's Progress. " J. Stuart Mill's 

 " Principles of Political Economy, ' Dickens, Scott s 

 " Waverley Novels." one or two books on Theology, Field's 

 "Hand Book.' a few snatches of the classics very limited. 

 of course). Many of Burns' and Hoods poems have been 

 favourites. Euskin's works (pocket edition) is invaluable. 



The Wesleyan East Road. Darlington. Mutual Improve- 

 ment Society, mv starting point, to think and work 

 seriously.— Yours sincerely, WalteE HTTDSON. 



F. W. JOWETT (Bradford, WestV 



B. 1864, Bradford. Ed., Half-timer at a Church 

 of England Elementan- School. Occ, Manu- 

 facturer's assistant. Rel., been an active Con- 

 gregationalist, now a Christian unattached to 

 any sect. 



The book which (1) made me want tn read was "Ivan- 

 hoe": (2) led me to reflect an-l think was " Pn.st and Pre- 

 sent"; '5) made me a Socialist was "Unto This Last"; 

 i4) desire for possession of a kindly and patient disposi- 

 tion, received assistance from "Vanity Fair" and ' Les 

 Miserables": '5) respect for Nnture and Man in their 

 wilder and sterner aspects fed on " Wutliering Heights," 



F. W. JOWETT. 



P]iolooraph byj 



F. W. Jowett M P. 



[E. H. Mills 



A writer in the Labour Record for Mav sa\s : — - 



Fred. Jowett worked his way up to the position of 

 manufacturer's assistant, starting as a half-timer in a 

 weaving shed at eight years olcl, aid attending evening 

 classes at the Mechanics' Institue when the day's work 

 was done. Turning to bis bookshelf. I fonnd tbe essen- 

 tial works on social and economic questions outflanked 

 by Dicke-js. Lowell. Whittier aud Longlellow. with a group 

 of Ruskin's works in the place of honour. It was here 

 Fred. Jowett found his voice. Standing by the shelf, lifting 

 down book after book, be discovered in a moment the 

 favourite quotations he wis seeking— beg^nning to recite 

 the words before ever the page was la'd open, but not 

 happy till the actual paragraph came into view. Re- 

 verently he to'Tched the volumes ; his eyes shone, hi? 

 lips moved rapidly, a faint colour even showed in his face. 

 Then he opened a drawer, showed me William Morris's 

 " Songs for Socialists." a Id. pamplUet issued by the 

 Kelmscott Press — 



" Then a man shall work and bethink liim and rejoice in 

 the deefLs of his hand. 

 Nor yet come home in tiie eve-.i too we .k and weary to 

 stand. 



I teU you tliis for a wonder, that no man shall then l>e 



glad 

 Of his fellow's fall and mishap to snatch at the work 



he had. 



Then all Mine pnd all Tliine shall be Ours, and no more 



shall anv man crnve 

 For riches that serve for nnUiing but to fetter a friend 



for a slave. 



J. JOHXSOX (Gateshead). 



B. 1850, Xorthumberland. Ed., Pit School. 

 Occ, Coal-miner. Rel., Primitive Methodist. 



The first book that I can remember reading was " The 

 Vicar of Wakefield." a book that always has a great 

 <'harm on ♦he young m-nd. 



Ve"y eirlv in life 1 was associated with the Primitive 

 Methodists, and began to speak in the Sunday school, and 



