The late Thomas Aveling. 
363 
the ' Sally,' after his wife. She was run into and nearly cut in 
half by a steamer one evening when he was playing cribbage 
with his son. The latter escaped on board the steamer, and 
Mr. Aveling's life was saved by a boatman and half a bottle of 
brandy. He was an excellent swimmer, and when his yacht 
was run into he supported himself in the water for some time, 
shouting for aid. At last he was picked up by a boatman 
when just about to sink from exhaustion, but still clutching his 
" hand " of cards. Fortunately the boatman had seen amongst 
the wreck and had picked up a wine bottle, which, on being 
opened, he found to contain brandy. This he poured down 
the throat of the almost expiring man and no doubt saved his 
life. If the bottle had been full it would have sunk, and most 
probably Mr. Aveling would not have recovered for want of the 
stimulant at the critical moment. Both father and son thought 
that the other was drowned. This was not by any means the 
only adventure that nearly cost Mr. Aveling his life, and 
I mention this one merely as an example. The fact is he did 
not know what fear meant. It is narrated of him that he once 
saw a steam ploughing-engine, doing very heavy work, on the 
point of bursting — the steam oozing out between the boiler- 
plates in all directions ; he said to his cousin, Mr. Stephen 
T. Aveling, who was with him at the time, " Look at that fool 
trying to burst that engine ! " Then coolly walking up to it, 
he asked the engine-driver whether he had a wife and family ; 
and on being told that the man had a wife and five children to 
support, he remarked, " If you were a single man, of course you 
could do as you liked ; but with a wife and five children 
depending upon you, you have no right to risk your life in this 
foolhardy fashion, and if you don't take that weight off the 
safety-valve of your engine, your wife will soon be a widow." 
JVIr. Stephen Aveling tells me that he did not realise until 
some time afterwards the risk they had all run during this 
dialogue. Mr. Aveling much admired fearlessness in other 
people. I recollect, at Plymouth, on one occasion we saw 
a fine strong labouring man deliberately cross the road at a slow 
pace in front of a carriage and pair coming down a steep hill. 
The coachman and the footman both shouted, the bystanders 
shouted, I stood aghast, and Aveling had a broad inquiring 
smile on his face, with his eyebrows elevated. By dint of 
great exertions on the part of the coachman the man was just 
not run over. I thought he was deaf, but as he approached us 
he gave a deliberate wink ! Mr. Aveling ejaculated, " That's 
the coolest thing I ever saw ! That's a lazy vagabond who 
would like to get into the hospital and be paid for being 
there ! " 
