The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1184: Chapter 129: Pioneer of the Electrical Age (Part 2)

And indeed, Mr. Ohm was a man of his word, though it is unknown how much suffering and hardship he endured, he never let either of his two sons drop out of school, supporting the two brothers all the way through their doctoral studies.

The story of the Ohm family is heartwarming and touching, and though Arthur’s encounters weren’t as spectacular as what’s written in ”Bismarck Sending Stendhal,” they were bizarre and uncanny enough.

As a little rascal from the countryside of York, with both parents deceased, he exhibited a maturity beyond his years from a young age.

While children in the English countryside were generally treated as adults from the age of eight, and even in cities they had to start taking care of the household by twelve, Arthur was still the kind to stand out among these little grown-ups.

Of course, he knew very well in his heart why he was so precocious. But to outsiders, such a precociously wise child was indeed endearing. Arthur could manage the pigsty in perfect order, which even the adults couldn’t handle. While ordinary countryside kids would be so frightened in front of a parish deacon that they couldn’t utter a full sentence, this guy could converse fluently.

He hadn’t attended even a single day of school, yet his speech was refined and polished.

Even though he was starving, when faced with the Poorhouse’s thin porridge, he could still carry himself with the slow and deliberate demeanor of a noble. Other little rascals would, after eating, hunger for more and knock on their bowls for another serving, but this guy would run to the church to find a priest, saying he wanted to read.

Engaging in such unusual behavior for a long time, the entire surrounding ten miles had heard that a prodigy emerged from the neighboring village. Even the city tailor shop, looking for apprentices at the Poorhouse, specifically named this clever child to recruit.

But unfortunately, the tailor ultimately arrived a step too late. For a few hours earlier, a savvy devil had already signed a low-cost child labor contract with this kid, with a signing bonus worth a free gentleman uncle.

However, Siemens was evidently not as fortunate as Arthur or Ohm, though his parents treated him well too, there were simply too many siblings in the family.

With twelve children to support at home, under such circumstances, even if old Siemens swung his hoe until sparks flew, he inevitably had to make some kind of choice.

Siemens covered his face with tears, not wanting others to see his shameful state, but he could not go against his own desires or give up his deep love for Natural Philosophy.

”Pro... Professor, I... I want to go to school.”

Arthur stirred his glass with a spoon, pinching his chin, smiling, and let out a long breath.

He was relieved that Siemens’ wish was merely to attend university.

If he wanted to play basketball, Arthur really wouldn’t have been able to help him with that.

The Red Devil sat by the window eating peanuts, clearly displeased with Arthur’s habit of stealing business.

As a devil practicing for over 2000 years, he finally understood what it means by teaching the disciple to starve the master: ”Arthur, damn you, are you the devil or am I the devil?”

Arthur ignored Agares’ complaints, as he finally realized what delights demons found themselves in—pretending to be a Savior indeed brought great joy. And witnessing the harvest of seeds unconsciously planted years ago provided an unparalleled positive feedback to one’s soul.

Yet Arthur’s only confusion was why the Devil enjoyed giving hope only to follow it with despair.

Was it simply because an old devil like Agares had long surpassed the primitive pleasure of offering others roses and having scent linger on his own hand?

But not being able to understand a devil’s thoughts wasn’t important; understanding his own thoughts was satisfying enough for him.

If asked what the greatest change resurrection brought Arthur, it was that it made his life view much more carefree, even leaning towards the tendency of the Great Dumas at times.

The life attitude of the French fat man was very simple; he practically lived every day as if he was about to face the Guillotine the next day.

He would buy anything he liked, flirt with any girl he found appealing, write any good ideas on his mind, and curse anyone he didn’t like. If the latter was dissatisfied, they would duel after the cursing.

Concerning life attitudes, Balzac’s earlier comments about the Great Dumas were spot on: Alexander never changed his mind, as if he always prescribed himself to walk in a straight line.

In more florid terms, Dumas’s character was one of pure loyalty and a pristine saintly nature.

In more straightforward terms, he was a 30-year-old French single-celled organism.

Whether from Charles Darwin’s perspective as a biological professional or from Arthur Hastings as a biology enthusiast, sometimes even Eld’s train of thought seemed more complex than the Great Dumas.

After all, Eld Carter, the legendary plankton of the Royal Navy, did not always swim in a straight line, and sometimes he would have to wiggle back and forth with his flagella.

All in all, Arthur now thought that being a single-celled creature in private couldn’t be so bad, for pretending to be a higher animal was indeed a taxing task.

Money could be earned again, as in the 19th century, the demand for revolution and liberal movements never ceased.

Even if Mazzini and Garibaldi found out the truth, they would certainly be gratified by the destination of this money. Just a small portion of the revolutionary funds had given the world a great scientist like Ohm, saving a young man who was about to plunge into despair due to dropping out of school...