Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh EditionRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Religion
Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh Edition
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Bradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891
In a few days he fell very ill. The small muscles of both arms were
ruptured; erysipelas supervened, and the left arm was very bad indeed,
needing constant attention by day and night. All day long from early
morning to the small hours of the next day there were people calling,
some friendly and some very much otherwise, besides press men and
persons on business. My father had no rest, and one day the physician
said, "You will never get well, Mr Bradlaugh, if you don't get out of
this room."
"You wish me to go away?" asked my father.
"Yes."
"When?"
"At once."
"I will go to-day," was the characteristic reply.
I packed up the necessary baggage, a fly was ordered to take us to
the station, and at Mrs Besant's suggestion it was decided to go to
Eastbourne. I was nursing my father, so I went with him, while for a
day or so my sister remained behind to attend to things at home. Mrs
Besant accompanied us. On the way to the station my father, who was
feeling very ill and very depressed, said he did not care to go to
Eastbourne--it was too fashionable; so I took the map from the railway
guide and called over the names of places on the South Coast until he
stopped me at Worthing, and then we turned about to go to there instead
of to Eastbourne. My father had both arms in slings, and at the station
Mrs Besant and I had to walk one each side of him to protect them from
the impertinent and the unfeeling who crowded round to stare at him.
Arrived at Worthing, we got into a cab, asking the driver if he could
recommend us to a quiet hotel; he looked compassionately at the only
too evidently sick man, and said he thought West Worthing would suit
us best. Whilst he was getting the luggage, a clergyman whom we had
seen inside the station came out, and walking up to the open cab stared
rudely at my father, and as he turned away said loudly, for us to hear,
"That's Bradlaugh; I hope they'll make it warm for him yet."
West Worthing did suit us, as the cabman surmised; my father's health
daily improved, and indeed there is little doubt that his timely
removal to this quiet spot saved his life for the time. After a few
days my sister joined us, and we all felt the better for the change, as
much from the momentary respite as from the fresh air and sea breeze.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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