I  have  been  very  much  interested,  within  a  few  months,  in
reading  a  book  which  I  hope  you  will  read,  the  Life  of  Faw-
cett,  the  English  statesman,  who  died  a  year  or  two  ago,  after
a  long  service  of  consummate  usefulness  to  his  country.  He
was  blind  from  the  age  of  twenty-five,  when  an  accident  sud-
denly cut  him  off  from  sight  forever  in  this  world ;  and  this
book  tolls  us  of  his  heroism  at  that  moment,  how  he  detcr-
miueii,  within  ten  minutes  after  the  accident,  that  it  should
make  no  difference  in  his  plans  of  life.  True  to  his  resolution,
he  went  on  from  stage  to  stage,  a  professor  in  the  university,  a
menil>er  of  parliament,  until  he  l)ecame  a  minister  of  the
cTowu,  the  highest  dignity  to  which  the  political  Englishman
aspires.  He  had  some  great  disadvantages.  Having  become
blind  when  he  was  twentv-five  years  old,  he  lacked  the  earlv
up[>ortunilies  for  training  which  you  have  had,  and  which
qiiitkou  your  senses  to  activity  and  keenness  of  perception  ;
and  he  never  gained,  as  long  as  he  lived,  that  de3cteritv
whieh  you  have  acquireii,  and  which  you  have  practised  be-
l\>re  our  eye>  tlIi^  very  afterniK>n  :  but  he  had  a  keen  sense
^»f  enjovment  in  life,  anil  that  feeling  of  dependence  upon  God,
:»n.i  r.pon  lio.l's  will,  whitli  strengthened  and  enlic;htened
hill..  Ih  always  saiil  *nu'  and  the  same  thing,  whenever  htr
>j>.»k'  :•»  :!ie  Mind:  '•!>.»  what  you  can,  and  act  as  if  vou
wi'u  lioi  Min.i.  Take  cn>uraire  and  help  yourselves."  To
i::   -t  \\  L  •  con!  i   ><.<..  Ik.  wa>  :is  eontiuually  saying  with  res^aird


129


to  their  treatment  of  him  and  those  situated  like  him  :  ''  Don't
patronize,  but  help  us  to  he  independent."

You  have  been  trained  to  this  independence ;  and  all  I  can
say  is :  May  you  have  the  courage  to  go  on  and  prove  it.
