For the only answer is the answer which I gave at the beginning
of this essay. It is the humble man who does the big things.
It is the humble man who does the bold things. It is the humble
man who has the sensational sights vouchsafed to him, and this
for three obvious reasons: first, that he strains his eyes more
than any other men to see them; second, that he is more overwhelmed
and uplifted with them when they come; third, that he records
them more exactly and sincerely and with less adulteration
from his more commonplace and more conceited everyday self.
Adventures are to those to whom they are most unexpected--that is,
most romantic. Adventures are to the shy: in this sense adventures
are to the unadventurous.
Now, this arresting, mental humility in Mr. H. G. Wells may be,
like a great many other things that are vital and vivid, difficult to
illustrate by examples, but if I were asked for an example of it,
I should have no difficulty about which example to begin with.
The most interesting thing about Mr. H. G. Wells is that he is
the only one of his many brilliant contemporaries who has not
stopped growing. One can lie awake at night and hear him grow.
Of this growth the most evident manifestation is indeed a gradual
change of opinions; but it is no mere change of opinions.
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