records of a family of engineers-第3章

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hern　daylight　was　already　clear；　when　he　awoke　and　beheld　the　curtains　at　the　bed…foot　drawn　aside　and　his　mother　appear　in　the　interval；　smile　upon　him　for　a　moment；　and　then　vanish。　The　sequel　is　stereo…type；　he　took　the　time　by　his　watch；　and　arrived　at　Broughty　to　learn　it　was　the　very　moment　of　her　death。　　The　incident　is　at　least　curious　in　having　happened　to　such　a　person　…　as　the　tale　is　being　told　of　him。　　In　all　else；　he　appears　as　a　man　ardent；　passionate；　practical；　designed　for　affairs　and　prospering　in　them　far　beyond　the　average。　　He　founded　a　solid　business　in　lamps　and　oils；　and　was　the　sole　proprietor　of　a　concern　called　the　Greenside　Company's　Works　…　‘a　multifarious　concern　it　was；'　writes　my　cousin；　Professor　Swan；　‘of　tinsmiths；　coppersmiths；　brass…　founders；　blacksmiths；　and　japanners。'　　He　was　also；　it　seems；　a　shipowner　and　underwriter。　　He　built　himself　‘a　land'　…　Nos。　1　and　2　Baxter's　Place；　then　no　such　unfashionable　neighbourhood　…　and　died；　leaving　his　only　son　in　easy　circumstances；　and　giving　to　his　three　surviving　daughters　portions　of　five　thousand　pounds　and　upwards。　　There　is　no　standard　of　success　in　life；　but　in　one　of　its　meanings；　this　is　to　succeed。

In　what　we　know　of　his　opinions；　he　makes　a　figure　highly　characteristic　of　the　time。　　A　high　Tory　and　patriot；　a　captain　…　so　I　find　it　in　my　notes　…　of　Edinburgh　Spearmen；　and　on　duty　in　the　Castle　during　the　Muir　and　Palmer　troubles；　he　bequeathed　to　his　descendants　a　bloodless　sword　and　a　somewhat　violent　tradition；　both　long　preserved。　　The　judge　who　sat　on　Muir　and　Palmer；　the　famous　Braxfield；　let　fall　from　the　bench　the　OBITER　DICTUM　…　‘I　never　liked　the　French　all　my　days；　but　now　I　hate　them。'　　If　Thomas　Smith；　the　Edinburgh　Spearman；　were　in　court；　he　must　have　been　tempted　to　applaud。　　The　people　of　that　land　were　his　abhorrence；　he　loathed　Buonaparte　like　Antichrist。　　Towards　the　end　he　fell　into　a　kind　of　dotage；　his　family　must　entertain　him　with　games　of　tin　soldiers；　which　he　took　a　childish　pleasure　to　array　and　overset；　but　those　who　played　with　him　must　be　upon　their　guard；　for　if　his　side；　which　was　always　that　of　the　English　against　the　French；　should　chance　to　be　defeated；　there　would　be　trouble　in　Baxter's　Place。　　For　these　opinions　he　may　almost　be　said　to　have　suffered。　　Baptised　and　brought　up　in　the　Church　of　Scotland；　he　had；　upon　some　conscientious　scruple；　joined　the　communion　of　the　Baptists。　　Like　other　Nonconformists；　these　were　inclined　to　the　Liberal　side　in　politics；　and；　at　least　in　the　beginning；　regarded　Buonaparte　as　a　deliverer。　　From　the　time　of　his　joining　the　Spearmen；　Thomas　Smith　became　in　consequence　a　bugbear　to　his　brethren　in　the　faith。　　　‘They　that　take　the　sword　shall　perish　with　the　sword；'　they　told　him；　they　gave　him　‘no　rest'；　‘his　position　became　intolerable'；　it　was　plain　he　must　choose　between　his　political　and　his　religious　tenets；　and　in　the　last　years　of　his　life；　about　1812；　he　returned　to　the　Church　of　his　fathers。

August　1786　was　the　date　of　his　chief　advancement；　when；　having　designed　a　system　of　oil　lights　to　take　the　place　of　the　primitive　coal　fires　before　in　use；　he　was　dubbed　engineer　to　the　newly…formed　Board　of　Northern　Lighthouses。　　Not　only　were　his　fortunes　bettered　by　the　appointment；　but　he　was　introduced　to　a　new　and　wider　field　for　the　exercise　of　his　abilities；　and　a　new　way　of　life　highly　agreeable　to　his　active　constitution。　　He　seems　to　have　rejoiced　in　the　long　journeys；　and　to　have　combined　them　with　the　practice　of　field　sports。　　‘A　tall；　stout　man　coming　ashore　with　his　gun　over　his　arm'　…　so　he　was　described　to　my　father　…　the　only　description　that　has　come　down　to　me　by　a　light…keeper　old　in　the　service。　　Nor　did　this　change　come　alone。　　On　the　9th　July　of　the　same　year；　Thomas　Smith　had　been　left　for　the　second　time　a　widower。　　As　he　was　still　but　thirty…three　years　old；　prospering　in　his　affairs；　newly　advanced　in　the　world；　and　encumbered　at　the　time　with　a　family　of　children；　five　in　number；　it　was　natural　that　he　should　entertain　the　notion　of　another　wife。　　Expeditious　in　business；　he　was　no　less　so　in　his　choice；　and　it　was　not　later　than　June　1787　…　for　my　grandfather　is　described　as　still　in　his　fifteenth　year　…　that　he　married　the　widow　of　Alan　Stevenson。

The　perilous　experiment　of　bringing　together　two　families　for　once　succeeded。　　Mr。　Smith's　two　eldest　daughters；　Jean　and　Janet；　fervent　in　piety；　unwearied　in　kind　deeds；　were　well　qualified　both　to　appreciate　and　to　attract　the　stepmother；　and　her　son；　on　the　other　hand；　seems　to　have　found　immediate　favour　in　the　eyes　of　Mr。　Smith。　　It　is；　perhaps；　easy　to　exaggerate　the　ready…made　resemblances；　the　tired　woman　must　have　done　much　to　fashion　girls　who　were　under　ten；　the　man；　lusty　and　opinionated；　must　have　stamped　a　strong　impression　on　the　boy　of　fifteen。　　But　the　cleavage　of　the　family　was　too　marked；　the　identity　of　character　and　interest　produced　between　the　two　men　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　three　women　on　the　other；　was　too　complete　to　have　been　the　result　of　influence　alone。　　Particular　bonds　of　union　must　have　pre…existed　on　each　side。　　And　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　man　and　the　boy　met　with　common　ambitions；　and　a　common　bent；　to　the　practice　of　that　which　had　not　so　long　before　acquired　the　name　of　civil　engineering。

For　the　profession　which　is　now　so　thronged；　famous；　and　influential；　was　then　a　thing　of　yesterday。　　My　grandfather　had　an　anecdote　of　Smeaton；　probably　learned　from　John　Clerk　of　Eldin；　their　common　friend。　　Smeaton　was　asked　by　the　Duke　of　Argyll　to　visit　the　West　Highland　coast　for　a　professional　purpose。　　He　refused；　appalled；　it　seems；　by　the　rough　travelling。　　‘You　can　recommend　some　other　fit　person？'　asked　the　Duke。　　‘No；'　said　Smeaton；　‘I'm　sorry　I　can't。'　　‘What！'　cried　the　Duke；　‘a　profession　with　only　one　man　in　it！　　Pray；　who　taught　you？'　　‘Why；'　said　Smeaton；　‘I　believe　I　may　say　I　was　self…taught；　an't　please　your　grace。'　　Smeaton；　at　the　date　of　Thomas　Smith's　third　marriage；　was　yet　living；　and　as　the　one　had　grown　to　the　new　profession　from　his　place　at　the　instrument…maker's；　the　other　was　beginning　to　enter　it　by　the　way　of　his　trade。　　The　engineer　of　to…day　is　confronted　with　a　library　of　acquired　results；　tables　and　formulae　to　the　value　of　folios　full　have　been　calculated　and　recorded；　and　the　student　finds　everywhere　in　front　of　him　the　footprints　of　the　pioneers。　　In　the　eighteenth　century　the　field　was　largely　unexplored；　the　engineer　must　read　with　his　own　eyes　the　face　of　nature；　he　arose　a　volunteer；　from　the　workshop　or　the　mill；　to　undertake　works　which　were　at　once　inventions　and　adventures。　　It　was　not　a　science　then　…　it　was　a　living　art；　and　it　visibly　grew　under　the　eyes　and　between　the　hands　of　its　practitioners。

The　charm　of　such　an　occupation　was　strongly　felt　by　stepfather　and　stepson。　　It　chanced　that　Thomas　Smith　was　a　reformer；　the　superiority　of　his　proposed　lamp　and　reflectors　over　open　fires　of　coal　secured　his　appointment；　and　no　sooner　had　he　set　his　hand　to　the　task　than　the　interest　of　that　employment　mastered　him。　　The　vacant　stage　on　which　he　was　to　act；　and　where　all　had　yet　to　be　created　…　the　greatness　of　the　difficulties；　the　smallness　of　the　means　intrusted　him　…　would　rouse　a　man　of　his　disposition　like　a　call　to　battle。　The　lad　introduced　by　marriage　under　his　roof　was　of　a　character　to　sympathise；　the　public　usefulness　of　the　service　would　appeal　to　his　judgment；　the　perpetual　need　for　fresh　expedients　stimulate　his　ingenuity。　　And　there　was　another　attraction　which；　in　the　younger　man　at　least；　appealed　to；　and　perhaps　first　aroused；　a　profound　and　enduring　sentiment　of　romance：　I　mean　the　attraction　of　the　life。　　The　seas　into　which　his　labours　carried　the　new　engineer　were　still　scarce　charted；　the　coasts　still　dark；　his　way　on　shore　was　often　far　beyond　the　convenience　of　any　road；　the　isles　in　which　he　must　sojourn　were　still　partly　savage。　　He　must　toss　much　in　boats；　he　must　often　adventure　on　horseback　by　the　dubious　bridle…　track　through　unfrequented　wildernesses；　he　must　sometimes　plant　his　lighthouse　in　the　very　camp　of　wreckers；　and　he　was　continually　enforced　to　the　vicissitudes　of　outdoor　life。　　The　joy　of　my　grandfather　in　this　career　was　strong　as　the　love　of　woman。　　It　lasted　him　through　youth　and　manhood；　it　burned　strong　in　age；　and　at　the　approach　of　death　his　last　yearning　was　to　renew　these　loved　experiences。　　What　he　felt　himself　he　continued　to　attribute　to　all　around　him。　　And　to　this　supposed　sentiment　in　others　I　find　him　continually；　almost　pathetically；　appealing；　often　in　vain。

Snared　by　these　interests；　the　boy　seems　to　have　become　almost　at　once　the　eager　confidant　and　adviser　of　his　new　connection；　the　Church；　if　he　had　ever　entertained　the　prospect　very　warmly；　faded　from　his　view；　and　at　the　age　of　nineteen　I　find　him　already　in　a　post　of　some　authority；　superintending　the　construction　of　the　lighthouse　on　the　isle　of　Little　Cumbrae；　in　the　Firth　of　Clyde。　　The　change　of　aim　seems　to　have　caused　or　been　accompanied　by　a　change　of　character。　　It　sounds　absurd　to　couple　the　name　of　my　grandfather　with　the　word　indolence；　but　the　lad　who　had　been　destined　from　the　cradle　to　the　Church；　and　who　had　attained　the　age　of　fifteen　without　acquiring　more　than　a　moderate　knowledge　of　Latin；　was　at　least　no　unusual　student。　　And　from　the　day　of　his　charge　at　Little　Cumbrae　he　steps　before　us　what　he　remained　until　the　end；　a　man　of　the　most　zealous　industry；　greedy　of　occupation；　greedy　of　knowledge；　a　stern　husband　of　time；　a　reader；　a　writer；　unflagging　in　his　task　of　self…improvement。　　Thenceforward　his　summers　were　spent　directing　works　and　ruling　workmen；　now　in　uninhabited；　now　in　half…savage　islands；　his　winters　were　set　apart；　first　at　the　Andersonian　Institution；　then　at　the　University　of　Edinburgh　to　improve　himself　in　mathematics；　chemistry；　natural　history；　agriculture；　moral　philosophy；　and　logic；　a　bearded　student　…　although　no　doubt　scrupulously　shaved。　　I　find　one　reference　to　his　years　in　class　which　will　have　a　meaning　for　all　who　have　studied　in　Scottish　Universities。　　He　mentions　a　recommendation　made　by　the　professor　of　logic。　　‘The　high…　school　men；'　he　writes；　‘and　BEARDED　MEN　LIKE　MYSELF；　were　all　attention。'　　If　my　grandfather　were　throughout　life　a　thought　too　studious　of　the　art　of　getting　on；　much　must　be　forgiven　to　the　bearded　and　belated　student　who　looked　across；　with　a　sense　of　difference；　at　‘the　high…school　men。'　　Here　was　a　gulf　to　be　crossed；　but　already　he　could　feel　that　he　had　made　a　beginning；　and　that　must　have　been　a　proud　hour　when　he　devoted　his　earliest　earnings　to　the　repayment　of　the　charitable　foundation　in　which　he　had　received　the　rudiments　of　knowledge。

In　yet　another　way　he　followed　the　example　of　his　father…　in…law；　and　from　1794　to　1807；　when　the　affairs　of　the　Bell　Rock　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　resign；　he　served　in　different　corps　of　volunteers。　　In　the　last　of　these　he　rose　to　a　position　of　distinction；　no　less　than　captain　of　the　Grenadier　Company；　and　his　colonel；　in　accepting　his　resignation；　entreated　he　would　do　them　‘the　favour　of　continuing　as　an　honorary　member　of　a　corps　which　has　been　so　much　indebted　for　your　ze