by Stuart Petre Brodie Mais
Extracts from the Journal
of Patrick Traherne, M.A., sometime Assistant Master at Radchester and Marlton,
Great Britain. Patrick Traherne, only son of the Rev. Thomas Traherne of North
Darley Vicarage, Derbyshire, was born on July 14, 1885. He was educated at
Rugby and New College, Oxford, and immediately upon leaving the University he
became a Public School master. He wrote in his journal:
September 20, 1909
For the first few days I was talking
over their heads the whole time. In mathematics I went too fast. In English I
took it for granted that they knew something about the subject: I am gradually
finding out that they know nothing. What is worse, only a very few of them want
to know anything. They exhaust all their energies and keenness on games: they have
none left for work. It is looked upon as a gross breach of good form to take
anything but the most perfunctory interest in class. I find that I am falling
into the most insidious of traps. I am picking out favorites.
The following are the journal entries I added:
October 5, 1909
After only a few
weeks with my students I am very impressed with Dawson Billingsley and Stanley
Rutherford, two very intelligent and capable young men. They have matured
beyond the petty games of youth and desire to move into a realistic goal for
their lives. It is my goal to help them reach that end. I have assigned them research into inventions and technology being
developed in this new century. I look forward to their findings and hopefully
will also engage in their future endeavors.
November 8, 1909
Billingsley and
Rutherford returned with their collaborative findings. They chose the fledgling
birth of the automobile industry. They still have a long way to go in their
research but this is the subject matter they have submitted to me.
March 3, 1910
The dawn of a new
decade is upon us. This century has already transpired like a freight train
gaining speed. Billingsley and Rutherford, now just Dawson and Stanley to me,
as we have engaged in warmer pursuits than academia—dinner at my house, playing
chess, meeting their prospective brides if it comes to that. A great friendship
has transpired and I feel I’ve become a part of a greater good than any of us
can imagine.
June 21, 1910
Dawson and Stan
have reached into a new era of transportation that appears to have taken hold
of mankind, and tipped it on its ear. Those of us who grew up in the last
century thought the automobile was a passing phase due to the lack of roads,
gasoline stations at proper intervals, and of course repair facilities which
are always needed at inopportune times. However, it seems that my two young
friends have taken a fancy to propelling this industry into a higher calling
for their lives. I wish them well and will endeavor to help them along the way.
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