Yours faithfully,
LAMBTON J. H. YOUNG,
Mr. J. Ellerthorpe. Secretary.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE HONOURED HERO.
THE HONOURED HERO.
No labour is ever lost that seeks to promote the welfare of men. At the outset there may be difficulties and opposition, but patience and perseverance will in the end bring their reward. And if the warrior rejoices in the number of his victories, the patriot in the extension of his country's liberties, the statesman in the success of his peculiar polity, and the philanthropist in the mitigation of human woes, how much purer and stronger must be the joy of the man who has been the means of saving the lives of his fellow-creatures? Alexander, Emperor of Russia, whose armies had won many a victory on the field of battle, once rescued a man from drowning, and he ever afterwards said that that was the happiest day of his life. As no living individual, perhaps, has saved so many lives, on so many separate and distinct occasions, and under equally perilous circumstances, as our friend, so we may infer that his personal joy was proportionately great. He always did his best to save human life, having made that one of the chief objects of his existence, and he reaped a rich recompense. He says, 'I always thought it as much my duty to try and save the drowning, as it was their duty to try and save themselves; and I always felt myself amply recompensed, and highly satisfied, when I got them out of the water and saw they were all right. Physically, I often felt much exhausted by the efforts I had made, and could eat no food, nor could I take rest, for hours after rescuing the drowning. But I was filled with a pleasure I could not describe; sometimes my feelings found vent in tears, and at other times in loud and hearty laughter; and when questioned as to my feelings, I could only say, "I can't tell you how I feel." I had this thought and feeling running through me, throbbing within me, "I have saved a fellow creature from drowning." And that imparted to me a happiness which no amount of money, and no decorations of honour, could have given me; a happiness which no man can conceive, far less describe, unless he has himself snatched a fellow creature from a watery grave.'
HIS PERSONAL JOY.
Our friend also reaped a rich reward in the gratitude of many whom he had the pleasure of saving. And we have seen that he could receive no higher gratification than this. King Charles, the First, had such an unhappy manner that, even in granting a favour, he often grieved those whom he obliged. And we know that almost as much depends upon the manner of doing a kindness, as upon the act itself. Indeed, in some instances, even a frank and positive refusal will give less pain than an ungracious and grudgingly bestowed favour. Now, we hesitate not to say that, what Mr. Ellerthorpe did, was kindly and generously done. And he always felt that the cheers of the multitude as he bore the rescued to the shore, and the spontaneous thanks of those whom he had saved, surpassed in value any tribute of money which could have been placed in his hands. Wordsworth, referring to the overflowing gratitude which had gone beyond the worth of the trivial favours bestowed, says:
'Alas; the gratitude of men
Hath oftener left me mourning.'
THE GRATITUDE OF THOSE WHOM HE RESCUED.