CHAPTER XVI 



LONDON AND LEICESTER 



As I came of age in January, 1844, and there was nothing 

 doing at Neath, I left my brother about the middle of 

 December so as to spend the Christmas with my mother and 

 sister at Hoddesdon, after which I returned to London, 

 sharing my brother John's lodging till I could find some 

 employment. At that time the tithe-commutation surveys 

 were nearly all completed, and the rush of railway work had 

 not begun : surveying was consequently very slack. As my 

 brother William, who had a large acquaintance among sur- 

 veyors and engineers all over the south of England, could 

 not find employment, except some very small local business, 

 I felt it to be quite useless for me to seek for similar work. 

 I therefore determined to try for some post in a school to 

 teach English, surveying, elementary drawing, etc. Through 

 some school agency I heard of two vacancies that might 

 possibly suit. The first required, in addition to English, 

 junior Latin and algebra. Though I had not looked at a 

 Latin book since I left school, I thought I might possibly 

 manage ; and as to algebra, I could do simple equations, 

 and had once been able to do quadratics, and felt sure I 

 could keep ahead of beginners. So with some trepidation I 

 went to interview the master, a rather grave but kindly 

 clergyman. I told him my position, and what I had been 

 doing since I left school. He asked me if I could translate 

 Virgil, at which I hesitated, but told him I had been through 

 most of it at school. So he brought out the book and gave 



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