Many hardships endured by students attending university or college in
Scotland have been brought to light from time to time. A student of
Anderson's Medical College some years ago fulfilled the duties of
lamplighter during his spare hours in a neighboring burgh. He had no
other income than the few shillings he received weekly for lighting,
extinguishing and cleaning the burgh lamps, and from this he paid his
college fees and kept himself fairly respectable. On one occasion he
applied for an increase of wages, and was called before the committee.
One of the bailies remarked that an able-bodied healthy-looking young
man like the applicant, might find some other employment instead of
wasting his time as he was doing. The application for an increase was
refused. One may conceive the bailie's surprise at a subsequent meeting
when the town clerk read a letter from the lamplighter, tendering his
resignation, as he had passed his final examination as a fully qualified
doctor.
--_Glasgow News._
1072
Ah! how sweet it is to remember--the long, long ago.
1073