He was not
the man to grapple, in its dark and deadly dens, with the Lernaean coil
of social Hydras; perhaps not under any circumstances: but he did,
unassisted, what he could; faithfully himself did something--nay,
something truly considerable;--and in his _patience_ with the much
that by him and his strength could not be done let us grant there was
something of beautiful too!
"Properly, indeed, his career as a public man was but beginning.
In the office he last held, much was silently expected of him; he
himself, too, recognised well what a fearful and immense question this
of Pauperism is; with what ominous rapidity the demand for solution
of it is pressing on; and how little the world generally is yet
aware what methods and principles, new, strange, and altogether
contradictory to the shallow maxims and idle philosophies current at
present, would be needed for dealing with it! This task he perhaps
contemplated with apprehension; but he is not now to be tried with
this, or with any task more. He has fallen, at this point of the
march, an honourable soldier; and has left us here to fight along
without him.
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