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HENRY SIDGWICK 253
o! his youth till his death a very beautiful constancy in
the pursuit of the purest ray of light that he was permitted
to see. Entire absence of egoism, the first condition
of the spell-producing power in character, showed
itself in him in scores of ways, but particularly in so far
as he was apparently unable to perceive egoism in other
people. The temperamental affinity with the almost
universal human infirmity being denied him might have
given an impression of want of sympathy. But in talking
he would comment on the most twaddling vapidity uttered
by a well-meaning but unreftective visitor, and turn it
into a rich and humorous contribution to the disCUI!sion.
Barren themes became fertile at his touch. A threat of
desolation seemed to be impending over an after-dinner
group· at Cambridge when men began to detail their
experiences of dreaming. Someone rescued the subject
from banality by asking Sidgwick if in his dreams there
was any characteristic feature which constantly recurred.
"Yes," he said, " there certainly is. I find my dreams
Impress upon me some great defect in my equipment for
life, suggesting an urgent need." "What sort of need f "
Then the answer, hanging fire with the grave stammer :
" Of clothes." It then was explained that a recurrent
vision in the night-watches was of himself wandering
about among his fellow-creatures with nothing on I
I think that in ordinary society he was far more interested
in what people said than in what they were. Yet
no one took a more profound interest in ethical questions,
as his best-known book testifies. But so far did this imply·
alpofness that he was conspicuous in his efforts to lighten
the burdens of others, and all his amazing philosophical
and analysing gifts did not prevent him from being ready
with practical counsel evincing a rare sagacity and con:
centration on the matter on hand.
It may be doubted whether anyone, saint, scholar, or
philosopher, has ever solved the problem of how to deal
with a really pertinacious dull talker who not only cannot
stop, but has no notion that anyone wishes him to stop.