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of　the　men's　wounds；　and　the　weariness　of　their　marching。　　And　I　

would　think　too　of　that　other　war　which　is　as　old　as　mankind；　and　

is　indeed　the　life　of　man：　the　unsparing　war；　the　grinding　slavery　

of　competition；　the　toil　of　seventy　years；　dear…bought　bread；　

precarious　honour；　the　perils　and　pitfalls；　and　the　poor　rewards。　　

It　was　a　long　look　forward；　the　future　summoned　me　as　with　trumpet　

calls；　it　warned　me　back　as　with　a　voice　of　weeping　and　beseeching；　

and　I　thrilled　and　trembled　on　the　brink　of　life；　like　a　childish　

bather　on　the　beach。



There　was　another　young　man　on　Earraid　in　these　days；　and　we　were　

much　together；　bathing；　clambering　on　the　boulders；　trying　to　sail　

a　boat　and　spinning　round　instead　in　the　oily　whirlpools　of　the　

roost。　　But　the　most　part　of　the　time　we　spoke　of　the　great　

uncharted　desert　of　our　futures；　wondering　together　what　should　

there　befall　us；　hearing　with　surprise　the　sound　of　our　own　voices　

in　the　empty　vestibule　of　youth。　　As　far；　and　as　hard；　as　it　seemed　

then　to　look　forward　to　the　grave；　so　far　it　seems　now　to　look　

backward　upon　these　emotions；　so　hard　to　recall　justly　that　loath　

submission；　as　of　the　sacrificial　bull；　with　which　we　stooped　our　

necks　under　the　yoke　of　destiny。　　I　met　my　old　companion　but　the　

other　day；　I　cannot　tell　of　course　what　he　was　thinking；　but；　upon　

my　part；　I　was　wondering　to　see　us　both　so　much　at　home；　and　so　

composed　and　sedentary　in　the　world；　and　how　much　we　had　gained；　

and　how　much　we　had　lost；　to　attain　to　that　composure；　and　which　

had　been　upon　the　whole　our　best　estate：　when　we　sat　there　prating　

sensibly　like　men　of　some　experience；　or　when　we　shared　our　

timorous　and　hopeful　counsels　in　a　western　islet。









CHAPTER　IX。　THOMAS　STEVENSON　…　CIVIL　ENGINEER





THE　death　of　Thomas　Stevenson　will　mean　not　very　much　to　the　

general　reader。　　His　service　to　mankind　took　on　forms　of　which　the　

public　knows　little　and　understands　less。　　He　came　seldom　to　

London；　and　then　only　as　a　task；　remaining　always　a　stranger　and　a　

convinced　provincial；　putting　up　for　years　at　the　same　hotel　where　

his　father　had　gone　before　him；　faithful　for　long　to　the　same　

restaurant；　the　same　church；　and　the　same　theatre；　chosen　simply　

for　propinquity；　steadfastly　refusing　to　dine　out。　　He　had　a　circle　

of　his　own；　indeed；　at　home；　few　men　were　more　beloved　in　

Edinburgh；　where　he　breathed　an　air　that　pleased　him；　and　wherever　

he　went；　in　railway　carriages　or　hotel　smoking…rooms；　his　strange；　

humorous　vein　of　talk；　and　his　transparent　honesty；　raised　him　up　

friends　and　admirers。　　But　to　the　general　public　and　the　world　of　

London；　except　about　the　parliamentary　committee…rooms；　he　remained　

unknown。　　All　the　time；　his　lights　were　in　every　part　of　the　world；　

guiding　the　mariner；　his　firm　were　consulting　engineers　to　the　

Indian；　the　New　Zealand；　and　the　Japanese　Lighthouse　Boards；　so　

that　Edinburgh　was　a　world　centre　for　that　branch　of　applied　

science；　in　Germany；　he　had　been　called　〃the　Nestor　of　lighthouse　

illumination〃；　even　in　France；　where　his　claims　were　long　denied；　

he　was　at　last；　on　the　occasion　of　the　late　Exposition；　recognised　

and　medalled。　　And　to　show　by　one　instance　the　inverted　nature　of　

his　reputation；　comparatively　small　at　home；　yet　filling　the　world；　

a　friend　of　mine　was　this　winter　on　a　visit　to　the　Spanish　main；　

and　was　asked　by　a　Peruvian　if　he　〃knew　Mr。　Stevenson　the　author；　

because　his　works　were　much　esteemed　in　Peru？〃　　My　friend　supposed　

the　reference　was　to　the　writer　of　tales；　but　the　Peruvian　had　

never　heard　of　DR。　JEKYLL；　what　he　had　in　his　eye；　what　was　

esteemed　in　Peru；　where　the　volumes　of　the　engineer。



Thomas　Stevenson　was　born　at　Edinburgh　in　the　year　1818；　the　

grandson　of　Thomas　Smith；　first　engineer　to　the　Board　of　Northern　

Lights；　son　of　Robert　Stevenson；　brother　of　Alan　and　David；　so　that　

his　nephew；　David　Alan　Stevenson；　joined　with　him　at　the　time　of　

his　death　in　the　engineership；　is　the　sixth　of　the　family　who　has　

held；　successively　or　conjointly；　that　office。　　The　Bell　Rock；　his　

father's　great　triumph；　was　finished　before　he　was　born；　but　he　

served　under　his　brother　Alan　in　the　building　of　Skerryvore；　the　

noblest　of　all　extant　deep…sea　lights；　and；　in　conjunction　with　his　

brother　David；　he　added　two　…　the　Chickens　and　Dhu　Heartach　…　to　

that　small　number　of　man's　extreme　outposts　in　the　ocean。　　Of　shore　

lights；　the　two　brothers　last　named　erected　no　fewer　than　twenty…

seven；　of　beacons；　（4）　about　twenty…five。　　Many　harbours　were　

successfully　carried　out：　one；　the　harbour　of　Wick；　the　chief　

disaster　of　my　father's　life；　was　a　failure；　the　sea　proved　too　

strong　for　man's　arts；　and　after　expedients　hitherto　unthought　of；　

and　on　a　scale　hyper…cyclopean；　the　work　must　be　deserted；　and　now　

stands　a　ruin　in　that　bleak；　God…forsaken　bay；　ten　miles　from　John…

o'…Groat's。　　In　the　improvement　of　rivers　the　brothers　were　

likewise　in　a　large　way　of　practice　over　both　England　and　Scotland；　

nor　had　any　British　engineer　anything　approaching　their　experience。



It　was　about　this　nucleus　of　his　professional　labours　that　all　my　

father's　scientific　inquiries　and　inventions　centred；　these　

proceeded　from；　and　acted　back　upon；　his　daily　business。　　Thus　it　

was　as　a　harbour　engineer　that　he　became　interested　in　the　

propagation　and　reduction　of　waves；　a　difficult　subject　in　regard　

to　which　he　has　left　behind　him　much　suggestive　matter　and　some　

valuable　approximate　results。　　Storms　were　his　sworn　adversaries；　

and　it　was　through　the　study　of　storms　that　he　approached　that　of　

meteorology　at　large。　　Many　who　knew　him　not　otherwise；　knew　…　

perhaps　have　in　their　gardens　…　his　louvre…boarded　screen　for　

instruments。　　But　the　great　achievement　of　his　life　was；　of　course；　

in　optics　as　applied　to　lighthouse　illumination。　　Fresnel　had　done　

much；　Fresnel　had　settled　the　fixed　light　apparatus　on　a　principle　

that　still　seems　unimprovable；　and　when　Thomas　Stevenson　stepped　in　

and　brought　to　a　comparable　perfection　the　revolving　light；　a　not　

unnatural　jealousy　and　much　painful　controversy　rose　in　France。　　It　

had　its　hour；　and；　as　I　have　told　already；　even　in　France　it　has　

blown　by。　　Had　it　not；　it　would　have　mattered　the　less；　since　all　

through　his　life　my　father　continued　to　justify　his　claim　by　fresh　

advances。　　New　apparatus　for　lights　in　new　situations　was　

continually　being　designed　with　the　same　unwearied　search　after　

perfection；　the　same　nice　ingenuity　of　means；　and　though　the　

holophotal　revolving　light　perhaps　still　remains　his　most　elegant　

contrivance；　it　is　difficult　to　give　it　the　palm　over　the　much　

later　condensing　system；　with　its　thousand　possible　modifications。　　

The　number　and　the　value　of　these　improvements　entitle　their　author　

to　the　name　of　one　of　mankind's　benefactors。　　In　all　parts　of　the　

world　a　safer　landfall　awaits　the　mariner。　　Two　things　must　be　

said：　and；　first；　that　Thomas　Stevenson　was　no　mathematician。　　

Natural　shrewdness；　a　sentiment　of　optical　laws；　and　a　great　

intensity　of　consideration　led　him　to　just　conclusions；　but　to　

calculate　the　necessary　formulae　for　the　instruments　he　had　

conceived　was　often　beyond　him；　and　he　must　fall　back　on　the　help　

of　others；　notably　on　that　of　his　cousin　and　lifelong　intimate　

friend；　EMERITUS　Professor　Swan；　of　St。　Andrews；　and　his　later　

friend；　Professor　P。　G。　Tait。　　It　is　a　curious　enough　circumstance；　

and　a　great　encouragement　to　others；　that　a　man　so　ill　equipped　

should　have　succeeded　in　one　of　the　most　abstract　and　arduous　walks　

of　applied　science。　　The　second　remark　is　one　that　applies　to　the　

whole　family；　and　only　particularly　to　Thomas　Stevenson　from　the　

great　number　and　importance　of　his　inventions：　holding　as　the　

Stevensons　did　a　Government　appointment　they　regarded　their　

original　work　as　something　due　already　to　the　nation；　and　none　of　

them　has　ever　taken　out　a　patent。　　It　is　another　cause　of　the　

comparative　obscurity　of　the　name：　for　a　patent　not　only　brings　in　

money；　it　infallibly　spreads　reputation；　and　my　father's　

instruments　enter　anonymously　into　a　hundred　light…rooms；　and　are　

passed　anonymously　over　in　a　hundred　reports；　where　the　least　

considerable　patent　would　stand　out　and　tell　its　author's　story。



But　the　life…work　of　Thomas　Stevenson　remains；　what　we　have　lost；　

what　we　now　rather　try　to　recall；　is　the　friend　and　companion。　　He　

was　a　man　of　a　somewhat　antique　strain：　with　a　blended　sternness　

and　softness　that　was　wholly　Scottish　and　at　first　somewhat　

bewildering；　with　a　profound　essential　melancholy　of　disposition　

and　（what　often　accompanies　it）　the　most　humorous　geniality　in　

company；　shrewd　and　childish；　passionately　attached；　passionately　

prejudiced；　a　man　of　many　extremes；　many　faults　of　temper；　and　no　

very　stable　foothold　for　himself　among　life's　troubles。　　Yet　he　was　

a　wise　adviser；　many　men；　and　these　not　inconsiderable；　took　

counsel　with　him　habitually。　　〃I　sat　at　his　feet；〃　writes　one　of　

these；　〃when　I　asked　his　advice；　and　when　the　broad　brow　was　set　in　

thought　and　the　firm　mouth　said　his　say；　I　always　knew　that　no　man　

could　add　to　the　worth　of　the　conclusion。〃　　He　had　excellent　taste；　

though　whimsical　and　partial；　collected　old　furniture　and　delighted　

specially　in　sunflowers　long　before　the　days　of　Mr。　Wilde；　took　a　

lasting　pleasure　in　prints　and　pictures；　was　a　devout　admirer　of　

Thomson　of　Duddingston　at　a　time　when　few　shared　the　taste；　and　

though　he　read　little；　was　constant　to　his　favourite　books。　　He　had　

never　any　Greek；　Latin　he　happily　re…taught　himself　after　he　had　

left　school；　where　he　was　a　mere　consistent　idler：　happily；　I　say；　

for　Lactantius；　Vossius；　and　Cardinal　Bona　were　his　chief　authors。　　

The　first　he　must　have　read　for　twenty　years　uninterruptedly；　

keeping　it　near　him　in　his　study；　and　carrying　it　in　his　bag　on　

journeys。　　Another　old　theologian；　Brown　of　Wamphray；　was　often　in　

his　hands。　　When　he　was　indisposed；　he　had　two　books；　GUY　MANNERING　

and　THE　PARENT'S　ASSISTANT；　of　which　he　never　wearied。　　He　was　a　

strong　Conservative；　or；　as　he　preferred　to　call　himself；　a　Tory；　

except　in　so　far　as　his　views　were　modified　by　a　hot…headed　

chivalrous　sentiment　for　women。　　He　was　actually　in　favour　of　a　

marriage　law　under　which　any　woman　might　have　a　divorce　for　the　

asking；　and　no　man　on　any　ground　whatever；　and　the　same　sentiment　

found　another　expression　in　a　Magdalen　Mission　in　Edinburgh；　

founded　and　largely　supported　by　himself。　　This　was　but　one　of　the　

many　channels　of　his　public　generosity；　his　private　was　equally　

unstrained。　　The　Church　of　Scotland；　of　which　he　held　the　doctrines　

（though　in　a　sense　of　his　own）　and　to　which　he　bore　a　clansman's　

loyalty；　profited　often　by　his　time　and　money；　and　though；　from　a　

morbid　sense　of　his　own　unworthiness