would have been involved in his visit to one of his tutors on the Sabbath. Among the friends with whom he was intimate whilst at University College were C. J. Hare, his old companion at Leeds, Garrod, and Parkes, who have all since attained eminence in their profession.

On leaving London he went at once to Paris, where he attended the hospitals and the School of Medicine to the end of the summer session. There is no record of the professional results he secured from this short sojourn in the French capital, and it is probable that his want of proficiency in the language hampered him in his studies. In August he returned home, much out of health, and remained in Leeds during the winter, residing with his father in Park Square. Early in 1843 he once more set off for the Continent, and made a prolonged tour through Italy. His antiquarian tastes, which had asserted themselves very early in life, were confirmed by his visit to that classic country. He made many purchases of curious relics and small works of art during his travels, but to his great vexation found that, owing to a trivial and innocent irregularity at the English Custom House when landing at Southampton in August of the same year, he was compelled to part with them all. Some he subsequently recovered by purchase, but many of the most interesting were never restored to him.

He immediately set to work on his return home to prepare for his M.D. examination, which was to take place in November. In October of that year Dr. Chadwick, the well-known physician of Leeds, resigned his office as physician to the Dispensary in that town; and having the M.D. qualification, Mr. Heaton offered himself as a candidate in Dr. Chadwick's place. Dr. Smart, a gentleman who had recently settled in Leeds, was also an applicant for the post; but after a sharp contest, Mr. Heaton was elected by 190 votes to 66. On November 8 he went to London for his examination. The contest for the Dispensary appointment had necessarily interfered much with his preparation for the examination, but he once more met with what might fairly be called his customary success. He was placed in the first class, received a certificate of special proficiency, and won the gold medal for the best Commentary on a Case in Medicine. On December 11, 1843, having then attained the age of twenty-six, he returned to Leeds, and forthwith began his duties at the Dispensary. He took up his residence temporarily with his father in Park Square, until the house No. 2 East Parade, which Mr. Heaton had purchased for him, could be prepared for his occupation.

81

CHAPTER V.

PUBLIC LIFE IN LEEDS.

In the preceding chapter we have dealt exclusively with the personal career of Dr. Heaton during his childhood and youth. We have seen him in his early days at the Leeds Grammar School or Mr. Braithwaite's surgery, like most lads of his age, careless and indifferent both with regard to his studies and his future career, thinking more of present enjoyment than of any of the more serious duties of life, and giving no promise of future reputation or usefulness. Then we have seen the curious' new departure' which he made during the course of his studies at the Leeds Medical School, when suddenly fired with the ambition of winning prizes, and the remarkable results which followed. I need tell none who are acquainted with the course of study followed by Dr. Heaton in Leeds and the University of London that it was no small thing which he achieved when he thus carried off prize after prize in these severe competitions. He himself to the last day of his life was singularly diffident with regard to his personal

G

abilities and acquirements. If he spoke of them at all, it was always to express regret that he had not enjoyed greater advantages in his early youth, or that he had not made better use of those advantages which he did enjoy. A few words I quoted from his diary in the preceding chapter show that he dwelt almost with scorn upon the natural elation with which as a young man he had regarded his success at college. Yet there was every reason for his being proud of his career at University College; and when he came to Leeds to begin practice in his native town, it was with the reputation of having attained a brilliant success in his medical studies. More happily situated than many men who have afterwards attained eminence in the same profession, he was not troubled at the outset of his career by any anxiety respecting pecuniary matters. His father had purchased for and presented to him a commodious house in East Parade, then a fashionable residential street in Leeds, and he was well able to wait for practice without making any attempt to force it by methods which were repugnant to his nature. Thus young, active, well-to-do, and possessing a considerable reputation, he entered upon his life's work under the very happiest auspices; and if he failed at once to take a commanding position among the profession in Leeds, the fact must be attributed to his own diffidence, and not to any lack of ability or opportunity.

Henceforward, in this record of his life and work, we shall have to deal with Dr. Heaton as a leading public man in a great provincial town. This, as has been intimated in the introductory remarks, is after all the aspect of his life which has most of value and interest for the general reader. In his own home he was beloved for a rare combination of gifts -gentleness, humour, affection; among the members of his profession he was respected for his solid attainments, and for that brilliant common sense' which he brought to the study and determination of any difficult problem. But it is not in either of these capacities that his life is best worth being studied by those who were not personally acquainted with him. It is because he was one of a class of men who are too little known to the world at large, whose work is too often ignored, and whose great though unobtrusive influence on our social life is felt but not acknowledged. The life of a provincial town presents no charms to the cultivated but superficial observer. Biography has nothing to say of the men who have had most to do with the building up of the fortunes of Birmingham and Manchester, of Live. pool and Leeds. The local reputation must acquire the stamp of metropolitan approbation before it is thought worthy of notice even by the most thoughtful of social students. Thus it comes to pass that in English literature and English thought, a great and useful