Indeed in the whole railway
world I never met an intellect so quick, or so clear and luminous as his.
Bailey was the most unselfish man I ever knew; the readiest to help
others. His pen, his remarkable stores of knowledge, and his spare time
too, were always at the service, not only of his friends, but often of
those who were scarcely more than mere acquaintances. The amount of work
which he cheerfully imposed upon himself in this way was astounding and
never was it done grudgingly or half-heartedly, but always promptly and
generously. It afforded him a pleasure that only one endowed as he could
feel. This part of him was often the subject of talk with those of us
who knew him well. But what charmed _me_ most, more even than his
brilliant mental gifts, were the sweetness of his disposition and his
quaintly quizzical and happy humour. Ambition was not strong in him, was
in fact all but absent, and he often rallied me on mine. He never in all
his life asked for any improvement in salary or position; but, in spite
of his inveterate modesty, rose high, became Chief Accountant of the
Midland Railway of England and, I should say, the leading railway
accountant in the United Kingdom.
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