From Thomas Archer Hirst   March 26th 1854

Queenwood College, | March 26th 1854

My dear John,

Yesterday Ruhmkorff’s Apparatus¹ arrived with safety – and yesterday afternoon I made a few experiments with it and found it to be a beautiful instrument. Although I was very cautious and used glass handles when I touched the connecting wires of the induced current I got one terrible shock. I want now to get a look at any papers containing experiments that have been made with the machine, (I have read Gassiot’s in the Phil. Mag.² only) or containing investigations on secondary currents and their effects, that is such as are capable of being best illustrated by this apparatus. If you can refer me to any or procure me any do so.

On what subject will your Friday evening lecture³ be? And on what subject and to what audience will those six after Easter⁴ be delivered? I shall write to du Bois⁵ and convey to him what you say in your last,⁶ but between ourselves I think it will be useless. When he says that you⁷ have expressed yourself sceptically about the results of his investigations, he means of course that among other things you have not deduced the same theoretical opinions. You may easily prove to him from your article⁸ that you have not thus expressed yourself, but it will avert little, for on the other hand you have not defended him, as his partizan,⁹ against Matteucci.¹⁰ You have not expressed yourself as a believer in du Bois’ expressed opinions and you have not seen reason to insist upon his superiority over Matteucci all of which du Bois probably expected. And again you mentioned once a certain concluding paragraph which Bence Jones declined to have published. May not du Bois be aware of the scepticism there expressed? And knowing this he would naturally interpret your printed article differently. At all events time will rectify all. Your article was clearly and honestly written and in comparison to du Bois’ rather selfish disappointment these are lasting virtues and will in due time command the respect they deserve, even from du Bois himself.

To come to home matters Queenwood is filling finely. There are upwards of 107 on the books for Midsummer and only 6 who will certainly leave, leaving a balance of 101 already. The only drawback is that we are threatened with Scarletina.¹¹ Four have already had it and two are at present ill. Mrs Edmondson’s motherly care of them is praiseworthy indeed. In such matters her true character is best seen. For a week and more she has been down at the firm¹² with the invalids, has attended to them herself and never been to the college so as to avoid all infection. For hopes to stop its spreading so that we all keep silent about the matter. As to Mummery nothing new has transpired.¹³ Edmondson bullies him rather vulgarly occasionally. A few days ago I told him the Quarter’s end was close upon us and I asked him if Mummery had given notice. “No,” he said. “Then what do you propose to do?” I asked. “I’m at a loss” said he hesitatingly. “What would’st thou advise?” “I know what I should do in the case.” “Well, what’s that?” he asked. “Why I should give him notice.”

Of course he was undecided and hinted that Mummery had obeyed orders and kept quiet. As an indication to the contrary I mentioned a case when at Fox’s Mummery had claimed his title “But” said I “that is a secondary matter, for which there may be excuses, the principal thing is we have lost all respect for Mr M. If he kept quiet even, it would be more satisfactory to every body here to have a more upright man to work with us. In our prosperity it is all we have to look too, to gather men round us with whom we can heartily co-operate” This is one of those sentiments he could applaud. ‘Oh yes’ he replied ‘he must go; indeed I expect he will give me notice, we will give him that chance; but if not and all comes to the worst he can go at Midsummer a quarters salary is no object” “That would be money thrown away” I returned “as long as there is yet time to give him notice. I see no necessity to consult his feelings so much, we have seen that on certain points they are not very sensitive. Depend upon it he will not give you notice until a better situation presents itself. Mr M. is prudent enough to consult his interests sooner than his feelings of honour” Here our conversation ended without a decision, but he shall be noticed before the month’s end.

I have business in Yorkshire again and I ought to see Dickinson. I think I must do both at Easter. I might postpone these until Midsummer and have a walk with you but it would be more inconvenient then than now for I have other things in view. I propose therefore that you come down to Queenwood a day or two before our holidays see us all [again] (as you say) and renovate yourself the break up on the 12^th I believe (Wednesday). On Saturday the 8^th there will be a Mutual Imp. meeting on Sunday we can have a good stroll together. On Tuesday the 11^th there will be a party and concert if you like to remain, but judging from your last visit you will not. At any rate you must come on the Saturday and return when you like.

Yours affectionately | T. A. Hirst

RI MS JT/1/H/196

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/329