My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

114 MY LIFEseem more distant than ever, and there seems nothingtoo noble, too exalted, too marvellous, for the everincreasingknowledge of future generations to attain to." Is it not fitting that, as intellectual beings withsuch high powers, we should each of us acquire aknowledge of what past generations have taught us,so that, should the opportunity occur, we may be ableto add somewhat, however small, to the fund ofinstruction for posterity ? Shall we not, then, feel thesatisfaction of having done all in our power to improveby culture those higher faculties that distinguish usfrom the brutes, that none of the talents with whichwe may have been gifted have been suffered to lieAnd, lastly, can any reflecting mindaltogether idle ?have a doubt that, by improving to the utmost thenobler faculties of our nature in this world, we shallbe the better fitted to enter upon and enjoy whatevernew state of being the future may have in storefor us?"These platitudes are of no particular interest,except as showing the bent of my mind at that period,and as indicating a disposition for discursive readingand study, which has been a great advantage tomyself, and which has enabled me to write on avariety of subjects without committing any verygrievous blunders (so far as my critics have pointedout), and with, I hope, some little profit to my readers.In April, 1843, my father died at Hoddesdon, atthe age of seventy-two, and was buried inthe familyAs myvault in St. Andrew's Churchyard, Hertford.sister's school was not paying very well, and it wasnecessary to economize as much as possible, thehouse was given up early the following year, mymother took an engagement as housekeeper in a