The Shadow of Great Britain

After all, even high schools would not want to hire an academic fraud as their teacher.

Thus, in the same year "Current and Mathematical Calculations" was published, in 1827, I took the initiative to resign from the school's work without informing you, nor notifying Martin and Barbara.

Father, I must apologize to you. I swear to God, my severance from the family was not because I no longer love you all, but because I didn't want to implicate you anymore. I went incognito to a small town in the Bavarian countryside, although it was not far from Erlangen, but I was too ashamed to return to see you.

There, I made a meager living as a tutor, while I still desired to continue with my research work, but was constrained by financial conditions, and the experimental processes were not very successful. I pondered that perhaps I would enter the grave as the 'Fraud Ohm' in this lifetime.

Perhaps, many years and years later, my theories will be accepted by the world. Perhaps…

Forgive me, Father, I'm feeling a bit emotional as I write to this point.

I do not know why, although I'm clearly a forty-year-old man, I always fail to control my emotions like a child.

Perhaps you don't understand why I am emotional; it's because a few days ago, just a few days ago, I saw a ray of dawn on the boundless horizon.

I heard from others that Great Britain's renowned researcher in electromagnetism, Sir Arthur Hastings, has crossed the English Channel and arrived in Germany. You must have heard of this name, for he is the assistant of Mr. Faraday, whom we both admire, the 'blacksmith's son.'

Mr. Faraday's story is widespread in the European scientific community. What a noble man he is! Noble to the extent that he seems like a character out of the "Bible."

Although my speculation here seems unreasonable, I sincerely believe, having been deeply influenced by Mr. Faraday, Sir Arthur Hastings must also be a person of noble character. Moreover, unlike the researchers in Germany, he doesn't know about the errors I've committed in the past, so I feel he might be able to analyze my academic results from a more objective perspective.

With such unrealistic fantasies, I mailed him a copy of my work.

But delusions do not last long, and by the next day, I began to regret it. I wondered if he would just throw my book into the wastebasket, and then spit on it. Because even if he doesn't know me, the professors at the University of Gottingen will tell him how notorious a person George Ohm is.

You must know, he is the Academic Director at the University of Gottingen, a big figure!

Therefore, if he says one bad word about me, its impact would be far worse than those German professors.

I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep for several days.

Slowly, as time passed, my mood gradually calmed down.

I guessed in my heart that he must have thrown my book away, or perhaps he hadn't even glanced at the book.

For I can guarantee, the number of researchers trying to catch his attention like I did must be incredibly high. So many books, so many monographs, how could he possibly read them all?

Thinking this, I found myself slightly relieved amidst my disappointment.

During those times, for me, avoiding one more curse was tantamount to receiving boundless comfort.

However, when the second week arrived, on Monday morning, the postman with a mail bag knocked on the door of my rented house and handed me a letter.

The teenage postman merely uttered a single sentence that made my heart leap.

"Sir, your letter, from Gottingen."

I felt like I was dreaming, holding the mail stamped with Sir Arthur Hastings's personal seal, my whole body trembled.

I both hoped for and feared, hoping to receive his affirmative reply, yet fearing the letter was filled with viciousness.

A letter, clearly weighing only tens of grams, yet I felt the entire Great Britain Island was pressed against my hand.

I first went to wash my face, stared at my reflection in the mirror for a long time, and then took the letter opener from the drawer, cutting open the letter bit by bit.

I trembled as I took out the paper.

However, the paper I valued more than life itself merely listed a few sentences plainly.

——Mr. Ohm, the book is very good, are you interested in coming to Gottingen for a chat? I've attached the travel expenses on the back of the paper, a total of fifty ducats. Feel free to use the excess for some good meals on the way.

——Arthur Hastings

When I saw the check attached to the back of the paper, Father, do you understand my feelings at that moment?

I could hardly believe my eyes, I briefly thought that God finally noticed his suffering child. If not, how could someone like Arthur Hastings, a stranger, treat me so?

Gottingen, this might be my only chance in this lifetime.

If you can read this, please pray for me in Erlangen, for I shall cleanse my stigma there, and not just for you, but also for myself.

George Ohm

July 24, 1833