268 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



of the moment. Such reflections and such antici- 

 pations might sadden the hearts of those who 

 surrounded him, but Mr. Smith would have thought 

 it unworthy of his resolved mind and firm trust in 

 Providence, to have abated one jot of his accus- 

 tomed cheerfulness, shortened one of the innumer- 

 able playful stories which were always springing 

 to his lips from the rich treasure-house of his 

 memory, or turned his meditations from his 

 favourite subjects. 



At Sheffield, while slowly recovering the use of 

 his limbs, he busied himself in arranging a body of 

 information which he had gathered concerning the 

 neighbouring coal districts ; and on removing soon 

 afterwards to his old quarters at Doncaster, he 

 worked much on the large " Old Survey of York- 

 shire," thinking to complete the colouring of it. 

 By degrees he recovered entirely from his painful 

 disorder, and from this year (1825) to 1839, nothing 

 of the kind ever affected him again. 



But these years were fruitful of events interesting 

 to the friends of William Smith. In February, 

 183 1, the Council of the Geological Society of 

 London honoured him by awarding to him the first 

 Wollaston medal ; and the terms with which the 

 gift was accompanied render this act on the part 

 of the society and the president extremely memor- 

 able. Dr. WoUaston's services to physical science 

 were well known and duly honoured in his life- 

 time ; geology has felt, and will long feel the 

 benefit of his dying bequest. He invested one 



