MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH. 31 



knowledge and correcting error, imposed a vast 

 amount of unrecognized and unrequited labor. 

 The intellectually halt, and lame, and blind, con- 

 tinually resorted to him for help, either in person 

 or by letter ; and they never were sent away 

 empty. Like the home of the lovely country parson 

 in the Deserted Village, 



" His house was known to all the vagrant train ; 

 He chid their wanderings, but reliev'd their pain." 



They who have witnessed some of those deeds 

 of charity, will never forget the gentle patience 

 with which he listened to the beggars for knowl- 

 edge, and the simple way in which he conveyed to 

 their imperfect intelligences the truths they were 

 seeking. Their self-conceit was often offensive ; 

 but he knew it was the product of ignorance, and 

 his effort was to cure the disorder. He was no 

 more repelled by the disagreeable symptoms, than 

 the physician is who must treat a loathsome disease. 

 On one occasion, in my presence, one of these crip- 

 ples refused to accept the instructions of the great 

 physicist, on a very simple question of dynamics, 

 applicable to a project he had in hand; but instead of 

 dismissing him, the master quietly took down "Hut- 

 ton" from the book-case, and patiently read that 

 author's confirmation of the law he had been teach- 

 ing. What an exhibition of true humility ! Per- 

 haps, thought he, " I can give a new direction to this 



