The Shadow of Great Britain

If anyone says that my article is encouraging my students to study hard, that is indeed my aspiration. If those who enjoy gossiping secretly slander me, thinking that I am boasting about my early academic experiences in order to be proud in front of young people, can such people really be said to understand me?

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The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of a small room rented in a modest inn in Gottingen, spilling into the cramped quarters.

The room is small, and the walls are somewhat mottled by the passage of time. The furnishings inside are simple and functional, with an old desk placed by the window, piled high with various experimental equipment and manuscripts.

In another corner of the room, there is a small stove, still burning with a few blocks of leftover wood from the previous night, occasionally emitting a faint crackling sound, adding a touch of warmth to this tranquil morning. The kerosene lamp on the desk has not yet completely gone out, evidently showing that the resident worked late into the night.

At the desk, Ohm, wearing a simple long robe, draped a thin blanket over his shoulders to ward off the chilly air of the morning.

The new issue of the "Gottingen University Journal" trembled slightly in his hands. From his moist eyelashes, one could see the article seemed to touch him.

He originally thought his early academic struggles were hardship enough, but what Ohm didn't expect was that Sir Arthur Hastings, whom he regarded as his benefactor, also had a tough beginning.

In fact, compared to Arthur's early experiences, Ohm felt his own life had been incredibly fortunate.

Although his mother passed away when Ohm was ten, at least he still had a father to shield himself and his siblings from the storms.

But Arthur Hastings, this young man, though of a small age but completely deserving respect, relied entirely on his unrelenting pursuit of scholarship, walking on his own two legs from the countryside of York to London.

Ohm, seeing this, put down the newspaper, took a deep breath while watching the sun appearing on the horizon outside the window.

Logically, as a forty-four-year-old middle-aged man, he should be pointing life lessons to someone young like Arthur. But the fact was, he instead drew confidence from this young man's experiences.

Ohm couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "It truly makes me feel ashamed! It's just academic criticism that almost destroyed me. But Arthur Hastings, compared to the struggles in his studies, what little difficulties have I encountered been worth?"

Ohm stood up and stretched toward the sunlight, the radiance shining on his face, filling this newly acquired private lecturer in natural philosophy at Gottingen University with energy.

After a simple wash, Ohm slung on the lecture notes he needed for today's class and opened the door of the rental room to go downstairs.

Walking on the streets of Gottingen, he made up his mind in private, determined not to let Sir Arthur Hastings down by failing to live up to his heartfelt expectations.

He must not only deliver a satisfactory answer at the electromagnetism meeting to be held throughout Europe next month but also not slack in his teaching work.

Indeed, Ohm very much wanted to obtain the professorship at Gottingen University, but he also didn't want Arthur to bear the stigma of favoritism. Therefore, even if he is now just a private lecturer, he demands himself according to the standards of a formal professor.

He wants everyone to sincerely think: George Ohm deserves the professorial status at Gottingen University.

Actually, after reading the article in today's journal, Ohm once considered returning the travel expenses Arthur had gifted him.

Although he knew that Arthur might not need this money now, receiving money from someone like Arthur, who also came from a tough background, still made Ohm feel a pang of guilt.

However, despite wanting to return the money, his current financial situation does not allow him to do so.

Although he is now a private lecturer at Gottingen University, private lecturers in Deutsch University have neither a salary nor a position.

Though these private lecturers are usually Ph.D. holders, they must complete a process called Habilitation (similar to postdoctoral research) to earn the qualification to offer official courses at the university.

This process includes submitting a more in-depth research paper and having delivered a certain number of public lectures in the academic field. Only after meeting these requirements can scholars obtain the official teaching permission and be employed as formal professors.

Prior to securing formal employment, the income of private lecturers depends entirely on the fees paid by students who voluntarily attend his private courses, meaning that the income level of private lecturers is to a certain extent not determined by academic level but by sales level.

For someone like Ohm who has just arrived as a private lecturer, it is very likely to have zero income in the initial few months.

Moreover, not only is the income of private lecturers small, but the unfortunate fact is, their expenses are often quite large, because private lecturers, in order to complete their thesis, usually conduct extensive research work to enhance their academic reputation.

Although Arthur has given Ohm full access to the laboratory at Gottingen University, and William Weber eagerly invited him to join his work group, Ohm still requires purchasing some materials not stocked in the lab for certain projects to conduct independent research.

Therefore, to some extent, despite wanting to return those fifty ducats to Arthur, he finds it beyond his capability.