Theearnormallyhangsdownbehind;thegoatturnssidewaystoherenemy—byalittleknowingcockoftheheadflicksoneearoveroneeye，andsquintsfrombehinditforhalfaminute—tossesherheadback，skipsapaceortwofurtheroff，andrepeatsthemanoeuvre。Thecookisveryfatandcannotrunafterthatgoatmuch。
’PERNAMBUCO，AUG。1。—Welandedhereyesterday，allwellandcablesound，afteragoodpassage……Iamonfamiliartermswithcocoa—nuts，mangoes，andbread—fruittrees，butIthinkIlikethenegressesbestofanythingIhaveseen。Inturbansandloosesea—
greenrobes，withbeautifulblack—browncomplexionsandastatelycarriage，theyreallyareasatisfactiontomyeye。Theweatherhasbeenwindyandrainy;theHOOPERhastolieaboutamilefromthetown，inanopenroadstead，withthewholeswelloftheAtlanticdrivingstraightonshore。Thelittlesteamlaunchgivesallwhogoinheragoodducking，asshebobsaboutonthebigrollers;andmyoldgymnasticpracticestandsmeingoodsteadonboardingandleavingher。Weclamberdownaropeladderhangingfromthehighstern，andthentakingaropeinonehand，swingintothelaunchatthemomentwhenshecancontrivetosteamupunderus—bobbingaboutlikeanapplethrownintoatuballthewhile。ThePresidentoftheprovinceandhissuitetriedtocomeofftoaStateluncheononboardonSunday;butthelaunchbeingratherheavilyladen，behavedworsethanusual，andsomegreenseasstoveinthePresident’shatandmadehimwetterthanhehadprobablyeverbeeninhislife;soafteroneortworollers，heturnedback;
andindeedhewaswisetodoso，forIdon’tseehowhecouldhavegotonboard……BeingfullyconvincedthattheworldwillnotcontinuetogoroundunlessIpayitpersonalattention，Imustrunawaytomywork。’
CHAPTERVI。—1869—1885。
Edinburgh—Colleagues—FARRAGOVITAE—I。TheFamilyCircle—
FleemingandhisSons—HighlandLife—TheCruiseoftheSteamLaunch—SummerinStyria—RusticManners—II。TheDrama—
PrivateTheatricals—III。SanitaryAssociations—ThePhonograph—
IV。Fleeming’sAcquaintancewithaStudent—HislateMaturityofMind—ReligionandMorality—HisLoveofHeroism—TasteinLiterature—V。HisTalk—HislatePopularity—LetterfromM。
Trelat。
THEremainingexternalincidentsofFleeming’slife，pleasures，honours，freshinterests，newfriends，arenotsuchaswillbeartobetoldatanylengthorinthetemporalorder。Anditisnowtimetolaynarrationby，andtolookatthemanhewasandthelifehelived，morelargely。
Edinburgh，whichwasthenceforthtobehishome，isametropolitansmalltown;wherecollegeprofessorsandthelawyersoftheParliamentHousegivethetone，andpersonsofleisure，attractedbyeducationaladvantages，makeupmuchofthebulkofsociety。
Not，therefore，anunletteredplace，yetnotpedantic，Edinburghwillcomparefavourablywithmuchlargercities。Ahardanddisputatiouselementhasbeencommentedonbystrangers：itwouldnottouchFleeming，whowashimselfregarded，eveninthismetropolisofdisputation，asathornytable—mate。Togolfunhappilyhedidnottake，andgolfisacardinalvirtueinthecityofthewinds。NordidhebecomeanarcheroftheQueen’sBody—Guard，whichistheChilternHundredsofthedistastedgolfer。
HedidnotevenfrequenttheEveningClub，wherehiscolleagueTait（inmyday）wassopunctualandsogenial。Sothatinsomewayshestoodoutsideofthelighterandkindlierlifeofhisnewhome。I
shouldnotliketosaythathewasgenerallypopular;butthereaselsewhere，thosewhoknewhimwellenoughtolovehim，lovedhimwell。Andhe，uponhisside，likedaplacewhereadinnerpartywasnotofnecessityunintellectual，andwheremenstooduptohiminargument。
Thepresenceofhisoldclassmate，Tait，wasoneofhisearlyattractionstothechair;andnowthatFleemingisgoneagain，Taitstillremains，rulingandreallyteachinghisgreatclasses。SirRobertChristisonwasanoldfriendofhismother’s;SirAlexanderGrant，Kelland，andSellar，werenewacquaintancesandhighlyvalued;andthesetoo，allbutthelast，havebeentakenfromtheirfriendsandlabours。DeathhasbeenbusyintheSenatus。IwillspeakelsewhereofFleeming’sdemeanourtohisstudents;anditwillbeenoughtoaddherethathisrelationswithhiscolleaguesingeneralwerepleasanttohimself。
Edinburgh，then，withitssociety，itsuniversitywork，itsdelightfulscenery，anditsskatinginthewinter，wasthenceforthhisbaseofoperations。Butheshotmeanwhileerraticinmanydirections：twicetoAmerica，aswehaveseen，ontelegraphvoyages;continuallytoLondononbusiness;oftentoParis;yearafteryeartotheHighlandstoshoot，tofish，tolearnreelsandGaelic，tomaketheacquaintanceandfallinlovewiththecharacterofHighlanders;andoncetoStyria，tohuntchamoisanddancewithpeasantmaidens。Allthewhile，hewaspursuingthecourseofhiselectricalstudies，makingfreshinventions，takingupthephonograph，filledwiththeoriesofgraphicrepresentation;
reading，writing，publishing，foundingsanitaryassociations，interestedintechnicaleducation，investigatingthelawsofmetre，drawing，acting，directingprivatetheatricals，goingalongwaytoseeanactor—alongwaytoseeapicture;intheverybubbleofthetidewayofcontemporaryinterests。Andallthewhilehewasbusiedabouthisfatherandmother，hiswife，andinparticularhissons;anxiouslywatching，anxiouslyguidingthese，andplungingwithhiswholefundofyouthfulnessintotheirsportsandinterests。Andallthewhilehewashimselfmaturing—notincharacterorbody，fortheseremainedyoung—butinthestockedmind，inthetolerantknowledgeoflifeandman，inpiousacceptanceoftheuniverse。Hereisafarragoforachapter：hereisaworldofinterestsandactivities，human，artistic，social，scientific，ateachofwhichhesprangwithimpetuouspleasure，oneachofwhichhesquanderedenergy，thearrowdrawntothehead，thewholeintensityofhisspiritbent，forthemoment，onthemomentarypurpose。Itwasthisthatlentsuchunusualinteresttohissociety，sothatnofriendofhiscanforgetthatfigureofFleemingcomingchargedwithsomenewdiscovery：itisthisthatmakeshischaractersodifficulttorepresent。Ourfathers，uponsomedifficulttheme，wouldinvoketheMuse;Icanbutappealtotheimaginationofthereader。WhenIdwelluponsomeonething，hemustbearinminditwasonlyoneofascore;thattheunweariablebrainwasteemingattheverytimewithotherthoughts;
thatthegoodhearthadleftnokinddutyforgotten。
I。
InEdinburgh，foraconsiderabletime，Fleeming’sfamily，tothreegenerations，wasunited：Mr。andMrs。AustinatHailes，CaptainandMrs。JenkininthesuburbofMerchiston，Fleeminghimselfinthecity。Itisnoteveryfamilythatcouldriskwithsafetysuchcloseinterdomesticdealings;butinthisalsoFleemingwasparticularlyfavoured。Eventhetwoextremes，Mr。AustinandtheCaptain，drewtogether。Itispleasanttofindthateachoftheoldgentlemensetahighvalueonthegoodlooksoftheother，doubtlessalsoonhisown;andafinepicturetheymadeastheywalkedthegreenterraceatHailes，conversingbythehour。Whattheytalkedofisstillamysterytothosewhoknewthem;butMr。
Austinalwaysdeclaredthatontheseoccasionshelearnedmuch。Tobothofthesefamiliesofelders，dueservicewaspaidofattention;toboth，Fleeming’seasycircumstanceshadbroughtjoy;
andtheeyesofallwereonthegrandchildren。InFleeming’sschemeofduties，thoseofthefamilystoodfirst;amanwasfirstofallachild，nordidheceasetobeso，butonlytookonaddedobligations，whenhebecameinturnafather。Thecareofhisparentswasalwaysafirstthoughtwithhim，andtheirgratificationhisdelight。Andthecareofhissons，asitwasalwaysagravesubjectofstudywithhim，andanaffairneverneglected，soitbroughthimathousandsatisfactions。’Hardworktheyare，’asheoncewrote，’butwhatfitwork！’Andagain：’O，it’sacoldhousewhereadogistheonlyrepresentativeofachild！’Notthatdogsweredespised;weshalldropacrossthenameofJack，theharum—scarumIrishterriererewehavedone;hisowndogPlatowentupwithhimdailytohislectures，andstill（likeotherfriends）feelsthelossandlooksvisiblyforthereappearanceofhismaster;andMartin，thecat，Fleeminghashimselfimmortalised，tothedelightofMr。Swinburne，inthecolumnsoftheSPECTATOR。Indeedtherewasnothinginwhichmentakeinterest，inwhichhetooknotsome;andyetalwaysmostinthestronghumanbonds，ancientastheraceandwovenofdelightsandduties。
Hewasevenananxiousfather;perhapsthatisthepartwhereoptimismishardesttested。Hewaseagerforhissons;eagerfortheirhealth，whetherofmindorbody;eagerfortheireducation;
inthat，Ishouldhavethought，tooeager。Buthekeptapleasantfaceuponallthings，believedinplay，lovedithimself，sharedboyishlyintheirs，andknewhowtoputafaceofentertainmentuponbusinessandaspiritofeducationintoentertainment。Ifhewastotesttheprogressofthethreeboys，thisadvertisementwouldappearintheirlittlemanuscriptpaper：—’Notice：TheProfessorofEngineeringintheUniversityofEdinburghintendsatthecloseofthescholasticyeartoholdexaminationsinthefollowingsubjects：（1）ForboysinthefourthclassoftheAcademy—GeometryandAlgebra;（2）ForboysatMr。Henderson’sschool—DictationandRecitation;（3）Forboystaughtexclusivelybytheirmothers—ArithmeticandReading。’Prizesweregiven;butwhatprizewouldbesoconciliatoryasthisboyishlittlejoke？Itmayreadthinhere;itwouldsmackracilyintheplayroom。
Wheneverhissons’startedanewfad’（asoneofthemwritestome）
they’hadonlytotellhimaboutit，andhewasatonceinterestedandkeentohelp。’Hewoulddiscouragetheminnothingunlessitwashopelesslytoohardforthem;only，iftherewasanyprincipleofscienceinvolved，theymustunderstandtheprinciple;andwhateverwasattempted，thatwastobedonethoroughly。Ifitwasbutplay，ifitwasbutapuppetshowtheyweretobuild，hesetthemtheexampleofbeingnosluggardinplay。WhenFrewen，thesecondson，embarkedontheambitiousdesigntomakeanengineforatoysteamboat，Fleemingmadehimbeginwithaproperdrawing—
doubtlesstothedisgustoftheyoungengineer;butoncethatfoundationlaid，helpedintheworkwithunflagginggusto，’tinkeringaway，’forhours，andassistedatthefinaltrial’inthebigbath’withnolessexcitementthantheboy。’Hewouldtakeanyamountoftroubletohelpus，’writesmycorrespondent。’Weneverfeltanaffairwascompletetillwehadcalledhimtosee，andhewouldcomeatanytime，inthemiddleofanywork。’Therewasindeedonerecognisedplayhour，immediatelyafterthedespatchoftheday’sletters;andtheboysweretobeseenwaitingonthestairsuntilthemailshouldbereadyandthefuncouldbegin。Butatnoothertimedidthisbusymansufferhisworktointerferewiththatfirstdutytohischildren;andthereisapleasanttaleoftheinventiveMasterFrewen，engagedatthetimeuponatoycrane，bringingtothestudywherehisfathersatatworkahalf—
woundreelthatformedsomepartofhisdesign，andobserving，’Papa，youmightfinisswindin’thisforme;Iamsoverybusyto—
day。’
IputtogetherhereafewbriefextractsfromFleeming’sletters，noneveryimportantinitself，butalltogetherbuildingupapleasantpictureofthefatherwithhissons。
’JAN。15TH，1875。—Frewencontemplatessuspendingsoapbubblesbysilkthreadsforexperimentalpurposes。Idon’tthinkhewillmanagethat。Bernard’[theyoungest]’volunteeredtoblowthebubbleswithenthusiasm。’
’JAN。17TH。—Iamlearningagreatdealofelectrostaticsinconsequenceoftheperpetualcross—examinationtowhichIamsubjected。Ilongforyouonmanygrounds，butoneisthatImaynotbeobligedtodeliverarunninglectureonabstractpointsofscience，subjecttocross—examinationbytwoacutestudents。
Berniedoesnotcross—examinemuch;butifanyonegetsdiscomfited，helaughsasortoflittlesilver—whistlegiggle，whichistryingtotheunhappyblunderer。’
’MAY9TH。—Frewenisdeepinparachutes。Ibeghimnottodropfromthetoplandinginoneofhisownmaking。’
’JUNE6TH，1876。—Frewen’scrankaxleisafailurejustatpresent—buthebearsup。’
’JUNE14TH。—Theboysenjoytheirriding。Itgetsthemwholefundsofadventures。Oneoftheircapsfallingoffismatterfordelightfulreminiscences;andwhenahorsebreakshisstep，theoccurrencebecomesarear，ashy，oraplungeastheytalkitover。
Austin，withquietconfidence，speaksofthegreaterpleasureinridingaspiritedhorse，evenifhedoesgivealittletrouble。Itisthestolidbrutethathedislikes。（N。B。Youcanstillseesixinchesbetweenhimandthesaddlewhenhisponytrots。）Ilistenandsympathiseandthrowoutnohintthattheirachievementsarenotreallygreat。’
’JUNE18TH。—BernardismuchimpressedbythefactthatIcanbeusefultoFrewenaboutthesteamboat’[whichthelatterirrepressibleinventorwasmaking]。’Hesaysquitewithawe，\"Hewouldnothavegotonnearlysowellifyouhadnothelpedhim。\"’
’JUNE27TH。—IdonotseewhatIcoulddowithoutAustin。Hetalkssopleasantlyandissotrulygoodallthrough。’
’JUNE27TH。—MychiefdifficultywithAustinistogethimmeasuredforapairoftrousers。HithertoIhavefailed，butI
keepastoutheartandmeantosucceed。Frewentheobserver，indescribingthepacesoftwohorses，says，\"Pollytakestwenty—sevenstepstogetroundtheschool。Icouldn’tcountSophy，butshetakesmorethanahundred。\"’
’FEB。18TH，1877。—Weallfeelverylonelywithoutyou。FrewenhadtocomeupandsitinmyroomforcompanylastnightandI
actuallykissedhim，athingthathasnotoccurredforyears。
Jack，poorfellow，bearsitaswellashecan，andhastakentheopportunityofhavingafesteronhisfoot，soheislameandhasitbathed，andthisoccupieshisthoughtsagooddeal。’
’FEB。19TH。—AstoMill，Austinhasnotgotthelistyet。IthinkitwillprejudicehimverymuchagainstMill—butthatisnotmyaffair。Educationofthatkind！……Iwouldassooncrammyboyswithfoodandboastofthepoundstheyhadeaten，ascramthemwithliterature。’
ButifFleemingwasananxiousfather，hedidnotsufferhisanxietytopreventtheboysfromanymanlyorevendangerouspursuit。Whateveritmightoccurtothemtotry，hewouldcarefullyshowthemhowtodoit，explaintherisks，andtheneithersharethedangerhimselfor，ifthatwerenotpossible，standasideandwaittheeventwiththatunhappycourageofthelooker—on。Hewasagoodswimmer，andtaughtthemtoswim。Hethoroughlylovedallmanlyexercises;andduringtheirholidays，andprincipallyintheHighlands，helpedandencouragedthemtoexcelinasmanyaspossible：toshoot，tofish，towalk，topullanoar，tohand，reefandsteer，andtorunasteamlaunch。Inallofthese，andinallpartsofHighlandlife，heshareddelightedly。
Hewaswellontofortywhenhetookoncemoretoshooting，hewasforty—threewhenhekilledhisfirstsalmon，butnoboycouldhavemoresingle—mindedlyrejoicedinthesepursuits。HisgrowinglovefortheHighlandcharacter，perhapsalsoasenseofthedifficultyofthetask，ledhimtotakeupatforty—onethestudyofGaelic;
inwhichhemadesomeshadowofprogress，butnotmuch：thefastnessesofthatelusivespeechretainingtothelasttheirindependence。AtthehouseofhisfriendMrs。Blackburn，whoplaysthepartofaHighlandladyastothemannerborn，helearnedthedelightfulcustomofkitchendances，whichbecametheruleathisownhouseandbroughthimintoyetnearercontactwithhisneighbours。Andthusatforty—two，hebegantolearnthereel;astudy，towhichhebroughthisusualsmilingearnestness;andthesteps，diagrammaticallyrepresentedbyhisownhand，arebeforemeasIwrite。
Itwasin1879thatanewfeaturewasaddedtotheHighlandlife：
asteamlaunch，calledthePURGLE，theStyriancorruptionofWalpurga，afterafriendtobehereaftermentioned。’Thesteamlaunchgoes，’Fleemingwrote。’Iwishyouhadbeenpresenttodescribetwoscenesofwhichshehasbeentheoccasionalready：
oneduringwhichthepopulationofUllapool，toababy，washarnessedtoherhurrahing—andtheotherinwhichthesamepopulationsatwithitslegsoveralittlepier，watchingFrewenandBerniegettingupsteamforthefirsttime。’ThePURGLEwasgotwitheducationalintent;anditserveditspurposesowell，andtheboysknewtheirbusinesssopractically，thatwhenthesummerwasatanend，Fleeming，Mrs。Jenkin，Frewentheengineer，Bernardthestoker，andKennethRobertsonaHighlandseaman，setforthinhertomakethepassagesouth。ThefirstmorningtheygotfromLochBroomintoGruinardbay，wheretheyluncheduponanisland;
butthewindblowingupintheafternoon，withsheetsofrain，itwasfoundimpossibletobeattosea;andverymuchinthesituationofcastawaysuponanunknowncoast，thepartylandedatthemouthofGruinardriver。Ashootinglodgewasspiedamongthetrees;
thereFleemingwent;andthoughthemaster，Mr。Murray，wasfromhome，thoughthetwoJenkinboyswereofcourseasblackascolliers，andallthecastawayssowettedthroughthat，astheystoodinthepassage，poolsformedabouttheirfeetandranbeforethemintothehouse，yetMrs。Murraykindlyentertainedthemforthenight。Onthemorrow，however，visitorsweretoarrive;therewouldbenoroomand，insoout—of—the—wayaspot，mostprobablynofoodforthecrewofthePURGLE;andonthemorrowaboutnoon，withthebaywhitewithspindriftandthewindsostrongthatonecouldscarcelystandagainstit，theygotupsteamandskulkedunderthelandasfarasSandaBay。Heretheycreptintoaseasidecave，andcookedsomefood;buttheweathernowfresheningtoagale，itwasplaintheymustmoorthelaunchwhereshewas，andfindtheirwayoverlandtosomeplaceofshelter。Eventogettheirbaggagefromonboardwasnolightbusiness;forthedingywasblownsofartoleewardeverytrip，thattheymustcarryherbackbyhandalongthebeach。Butthisoncemanaged，andacartprocuredintheneighbourhood，theywereabletospendthenightinapot—houseonAultBea。Nextday，theseawasunapproachable;butthenexttheyhadapleasantpassagetoPoolewe，huggingthecliffs，thefallingswellburstingclosebytheminthegullies，andtheblackscartsthatsatlikeornamentsonthetopofeverystackandpinnacle，lookingdownintothePURGLEasshepassed。TheclimateofScotlandhadnotdonewiththemyet：forthreedaystheylaystorm—stayedinPoolewe，andwhentheyputtoseaonthemorningofthefourth，thesailorsprayedthemforGod’ssakenottoattemptthepassage。Theirsettingoutwasindeedmerelytentative;butpresentlytheyhadgonetoofartoreturn，andfoundthemselvescommittedtodoubleRhuReaywithafoulwindandacrosssea。
Fromhalf—pasteleveninthemorninguntilhalf—pastfiveatnight，theywereinimmediateandunceasingdanger。Upontheleastmishap，thePURGLEmusteitherhavebeenswampedbytheseasorbulgeduponthecliffsofthatrudeheadland。FleemingandRobertsontookturnsbalingandsteering;Mrs。Jenkin，soviolentwasthecommotionoftheboat，heldonwithbothhands;Frewen，byRobertson’sdirection，rantheengine，slackingandpressinghertomeettheseas;andBernard，onlytwelveyearsold，deadlysea—sick，andcontinuallythrownagainsttheboiler，sothathewasfoundnextdaytobecoveredwithburns，yetkeptanevenfire。ItwasaverythankfulpartythatsatdownthateveningtomeatintheHotelatGairloch。Andperhaps，althoughthethingwasnewinthefamily，noonewasmuchsurprisedwhenFleemingsaidgraceoverthatmeal。Thenceforwardhecontinuedtoobservetheform，sothattherewaskeptaliveinhishouseagratefulmemoryofperilanddeliverance。ButtherewasnothingofthemuffinFleeming;hethoughtitagoodthingtoescapedeath，butabecomingandahealthfulthingtoruntheriskofit;andwhatisrarer，thatwhichhethoughtforhimself，hethoughtforhisfamilyalso。InspiteoftheterrorsofRhuReay，thecruisewasperseveredinandbroughttoanendunderhappierconditions。
Oneyear，insteadoftheHighlands，AltAussee，intheSteiermark，waschosenfortheholidays;andtheplace，thepeople，andthelifedelightedFleeming。HeworkedhardatGerman，whichhehadmuchforgottensincehewasaboy;andwhatishighlycharacteristic，equallyhardatthepatois，inwhichhelearnedtoexcel。HewonaprizeataSchutzen—fest;andthoughhehuntedchamoiswithoutmuchsuccess，broughtdownmoreinterestinggameintheshapeoftheStyrianpeasants，andinparticularofhisgillie，Joseph。ThisJosephwasmuchofacharacter;andhisappreciationsofFleeminghaveafinenoteoftheirown。Thebringingupoftheboyshedeignedtoapproveof：’FASTSOGUTWIEEINBAUER，’washistrenchantcriticism。TheattentionandcourtlyrespectwithwhichFleemingsurroundedhiswife，wassomethingofapuzzletothephilosophicgillie;heannouncedinthevillagethatMrs。
Jenkin—DIESILBERNEFRAU，asthefolkhadprettilynamedherfromsomesilverornaments—wasa’GEBORENEGRAFIN’whohadmarriedbeneathher;andwhenFleemingexplainedwhathecalledtheEnglishtheory（thoughindeeditwasquitehisown）ofmarriedrelations，Joseph，admiringbutunconvinced，avoweditwas’GARSCHON。’
Joseph’scousin，WalpurgaMoser，toanorchestraofclarionetandzither，taughtthefamilythecountrydances，theSteierischandtheLandler，andgainedtheirheartsduringthelessons。HersisterLoys，too，whowasupattheAlpwiththecattle，camedowntochurchonSundays，madeacquaintancewiththeJenkins，andmusthavethemuptoseethesunrisefromherhouseupontheLoser，wheretheyhadsupperandallsleptintheloftamongthehay。TheMoserswerenotlostsightof;WalpurgastillcorrespondswithMrs。
Jenkin，anditwasalatepleasureofFleeming’stochooseanddespatchaweddingpresentforhislittlemountainfriend。Thisvisitwasbroughttoanendbyaballinthebiginnparlour;therefreshmentschosen，thelistofguestsdrawnup，byJoseph;thebestmusicoftheplaceinattendance;andhostsandguestsintheirbestclothes。TheballwasopenedbyMrs。JenkindancingSteierischwithalordlyBauer，ingrayandsilverandwithaplumedhat;andFleemingfollowedwithWalpurgaMoser。
Thereranaprinciplethroughalltheseholidaypleasures。InStyriaasintheHighlands，thesamecoursewasfollowed：Fleemingthrewhimselfasfullyashecouldintothelifeandoccupationsofthenativepeople，studyingeverywheretheirdancesandtheirlanguage，andconforming，alwayswithpleasure，totheirrusticetiquette。JustastheballatAltAusseewasdesignedforthetasteofJoseph，thepartingfeastatAttadalewasorderedineveryparticulartothetasteofMurdochtheKeeper。Fleemingwasnotoneofthecommon，so—calledgentlemen，whotakethetricksoftheirowncoterietobeeternalprinciplesoftaste。Hewasaware，ontheotherhand，thatrusticpeopledwellingintheirownplaces，followancientruleswithfastidiousprecision，andareeasilyshockedandembarrassedbywhat（iftheyusedtheword）theywouldhavetocallthevulgarityofvisitorsfromtown。Andhe，whowassocavalierwithmenofhisownclass，wasseduloustoshieldthemoretenderfeelingsofthepeasant;he，whocouldbesotryinginadrawing—room，wasevenpunctiliousinthecottage。Itwasinallrespectsahappyvirtue。Itrenewedhislife，duringtheseholidays，inallparticulars。Itoftenentertainedhimwiththediscoveryofstrangesurvivals;aswhen，bytheordersofMurdoch，Mrs。Jenkinmustpubliclytasteofeverydishbeforeitwassetbeforeherguests。AndthustothrowhimselfintoafreshlifeandanewschoolofmannerswasagratefulexerciseofFleeming’smimeticinstinct;andtothepleasuresoftheopenair，ofhardshipssupported，ofdexteritiesimprovedanddisplayed，andofplainandelegantsociety，addedaspiceofdrama。
II。
Fleemingwasallhislifealoveroftheplayandallthatbelongedtoit。Dramaticliteratureheknewfully。Hewasoneofthenotverynumerouspeoplewhocanreadaplay：aknack，thefruitofmuchknowledgeandsomeimagination，comparabletothatofreadingscore。Fewmenbetterunderstoodtheartificialprinciplesonwhichaplayisgoodorbad;fewmoreunaffectedlyenjoyedapieceofanymeritofconstruction。Hisownplaywasconceivedwithadoubledesign;forhehadlongbeenfilledwithhistheoryofthetruestoryofGriselda;usedtogirdatFatherChaucerforhismisconception;andwas，perhapsfirstofall，movedbythedesiretodojusticetotheMarquisofSaluces，andperhapsonlyinthesecondplace，bythewishtotreatastory（ashephrasedit）likeasuminarithmetic。Idonotthinkhequitesucceeded;butImustownmyselfnofitjudge。FleemingandIwereteacherandtaughtastotheprinciples，disputatiousrivalsinthepractice，ofdramaticwriting。
Actinghadalways，eversinceRachelandtheMarseillaise，aparticularpoweronhim。’IfIdonotcryattheplay，’heusedtosay，’Iwanttohavemymoneyback。’Evenfromapoorplaywithpooractors，hecoulddrawpleasure。’Giacometti’sELISABETTA，’I
findhimwriting，’fetchedthehousevastly。PoorQueenElizabeth！
Andyetitwasalittlegood。’Andagain，afteranightofSalvini：’IdonotsupposeanyonewithfeelingscouldsitoutOTHELLO，ifIagoandDesdemonawereacted。’Salviniwas，inhisview，thegreatestactorhehadseen。Wewereallindeedmovedandbetteredbythevisitofthatwonderfulman。—’IdeclareIfeelasifIcouldpray！’criedoneofus，onthereturnfromHAMLET。—
’Thatisprayer，’saidFleeming。W。B。HoleandI，inafineenthusiasmofgratitude，determinedtodrawupanaddresstoSalvini，didso，andcarriedittoFleeming;andIshallneverforgetwithwhatcoldnessheheardanddeletedtheeloquenceofourdraft，norwithwhatspirit（ourvanitiesonceproperlymortified）
hethrewhimselfintothebusinessofcollectingsignatures。Itwashispart，onthegroundofhisItalian，toseeandarrangewiththeactor;itwasminetowriteintheACADEMYanoticeofthefirstperformanceofMACBETH。Fleemingopenedthepaper，readsofar，andflungitonthefloor。’No，’hecried，’thatwon’tdo。
Youwerethinkingofyourself，notofSalvini！’Thecriticismwasshrewdasusual，butitwasunfairthroughignorance;itwasnotofmyselfthatIwasthinking，butofthedifficultiesofmytradewhichIhadnotwellmastered。AnotherunalloyeddramaticpleasurewhichFleemingandIsharedtheyearoftheParisExposition，wastheMARQUISDEVILLEMER，thatblamelessplay，performedbyMadeleineBrohan，Delaunay，Worms，andBroisat—anactress，insuchpartsatleast，towhomIhaveneverseenfulljusticerendered。Hehadhisfillofweepingonthatoccasion;andwhenthepiecewasatanend，infrontofacafe，inthemild，midnightair，wehadourfilloftalkabouttheartofacting。
ButwhatgavethestagesostrongaholdonFleemingwasaninheritancefromNorwich，fromEdwardBarron，andfromEnfieldoftheSPEAKER。ThetheatrewasoneofEdwardBarron’seleganthobbies;hereadplays，asbecameEnfield’sson—in—law，withagooddiscretion;hewroteplaysforhisfamily，inwhichElizaBarronusedtoshineinthechiefparts;andlaterinlife，aftertheNorwichhomewasbrokenup，hislittlegranddaughterwouldsitbehindhiminagreatarmchair，andbeintroduced，withhisstatelyelocution，totheworldofdramaticliterature。Fromthis，inadirectline，wecandeducethecharadesatClaygate;andaftermoneycame，intheEdinburghdays，thatprivatetheatrewhichtookupsomuchofFleeming’senergyandthought。Thecompany—Mr。andMrs。R。O。CarterofColwall，W。B。Hole，CaptainCharlesDouglas，Mr。Kunz，Mr。Burnett，ProfessorLewisCampbell，Mr。CharlesBaxter，andmanymore—madeacharmingsocietyforthemselvesandgavepleasuretotheiraudience。Mr。CarterinSirTobyBelchitwouldbehardtobeat。Mr。Holeinbroadfarce，orastheheraldintheTRACHINIAE，showedtruestagetalent。AsforMrs。Jenkin，itwasforhertherestofusexistedandwereforgiven;herpowerswereanendlessspringofprideandpleasuretoherhusband;hespenthourshearingandschoolingherinprivate;andwhenitcametotheperformance，thoughtherewasperhapsnooneintheaudiencemorecritical，nonewasmoremovedthanFleeming。Therestofusdidnotaspiresohigh。Therewerealwaysfiveperformancesandweeksofbusyrehearsal;andwhetherwecametositandstifleastheprompter，tobethedumb（orrathertheinarticulate）
recipientsofCarter’sdogwhipintheTAMINGOFTHESHREW，orhavingearnedourspurs，toloseonemoreillusioninaleadingpart，wewerealwayssureatleastofalongandanexcitingholidayinmirthfulcompany。
Inthislaboriousannualdiversion，Fleeming’spartwaslarge。I
neverthoughthimanactor，buthewassomethingofamimic，whichstoodhiminstead。ThushehadseenGotinPoirier;andhisownPoirier，whenhecametoplayit，breathedmeritoriouslyofthemodel。ThelastpartIsawhimplaywasTriplet，andatfirstI
thoughtitpromisedwell。Butalas！theboyswentforaholiday，missedatrain，andwerenotheardofathometilllateatnight。
PoorFleeming，themanwhoneverhesitatedtogivehissonsachiseloragun，ortosendthemabroadinacanoeoronahorse，toiledalldayathisrehearsal，growinghourlypaler，Tripletgrowinghourlylessmeritorious。Andthoughthereturnofthechildren，nonetheworsefortheirlittleadventure，broughtthecolourbackintohisface，itcouldnotrestorehimtohispart。I
rememberfindinghimseatedonthestairsinsomeraremomentofquietduringthesubsequentperformances。’Hullo，Jenkin，’saidI，’youlookdowninthemouth。’—’Mydearboy，’saidhe，’haven’tyouheardme？Ihavenotonedecentintonationfrombeginningtoend。’
Butindeedheneversupposedhimselfanactor;tookapart，whenhetookany，merelyforconvenience，asonetakesahandatwhist;andfoundhistrueserviceandpleasureinthemorecongenialbusinessofthemanager。Augier，Racine，Shakespeare，AristophanesinHookhamFrere’stranslation，SophoclesandAEschylusinLewisCampbell’s，suchweresomeoftheauthorswhomheintroducedtohispublic。Inputtingtheseuponthestage，hefoundathousandexercisesforhisingenuityandtaste，athousandproblemsarisingwhichhedelightedtostudy，athousandopportunitiestomaketheseinfinitesimalimprovementswhicharesomuchinartandfortheartist。OurfirstGreekplayhadbeencostumedbytheprofessionalcostumer，withunforgetableresultsofcomicalityandindecorum：
thesecond，theTRACHINIAE，ofSophocles，hetookinhandhimself，andadelightfultaskhemadeofit。Hisstudywastheninantiquarianbooks，wherehefoundconfusion，andonstatuesandbas—reliefs，whereheatlastfoundclearness;afteranhourorsoattheBritishMuseum，hewasabletomaster’thechiton，sleevesandall’;andbeforethetimewasripe，hehadatheoryofGreektailoringathisfingers’ends，andhadallthecostumesmadeunderhiseyeasaGreektailorwouldhavemadethem。’TheGreeksmadethebestplaysandthebeststatues，andwerethebestarchitects：
ofcourse，theywerethebesttailors，too，’saidhe;andwasneverweary，whenhecouldfindatolerantlistener，ofdwellingonthesimplicity，theeconomy，theelegancebothofmeansandeffect，whichmadetheirsystemsodelightful。
Butthereisanothersidetothestage—manager’semployment。Thedisciplineofactingisdetestable;thefailuresandtriumphsofthatbusinessappealtoodirectlytothevanity;andeveninthecourseofacarefulamateurperformancesuchasours，muchofthesmallersideofmanwillbedisplayed。Fleeming，amongconflictingvanitiesandlevities，playedhisparttomyadmiration。Hehadhisownview;hemightbewrong;buttheperformances（hewouldremindus）wereafterallhis，andhemustdecide。Hewas，inthisasinallotherthings，anirontaskmaster，sparingnothimselfnorothers。Ifyouweregoingtodoitatall，hewouldseethatitwasdoneaswellasyouwereable。Ihaveknownhimtokeeptwoculprits（andoneofthesehiswife）repeatingthesameactionandthesametwoorthreewordsforawholewearyafternoon。Andyethegainedandretainedwarmfeelingsfromfarthemostofthosewhofellunderhisdomination，andparticularly（itispleasanttoremember）fromthegirls。Aftertheslipshodtrainingandtheincompleteaccomplishmentsofagirls’school，therewassomethingatfirstannoying，atlastexcitingandbracing，inthishighstandardofaccomplishmentandperseverance。
III。
Itdidnotmatterwhyheentereduponanystudyoremployment，whetherforamusementliketheGreektailoringortheHighlandreels，whetherfromadesiretoservethepublicaswithhissanitarywork，orintheviewofbenefitingpoorermenaswithhislaboursfortechnicaleducation，he’pitchedintoit’（ashewouldhavesaidhimself）withthesameheadlongzest。IgiveintheAppendixaletterfromColonelFergusson，whichtellsfullythenatureofthesanitaryworkandofFleeming’spartandsuccessinit。Itwillbeenoughtosayherethatitwasaschemeofprotectionagainsttheblunderingofbuildersandthedishonestyofplumbers。Startedwithaneyerathertothehousesoftherich，FleeminghopedhisSanitaryAssociationswouldsoonextendtheirsphereofusefulnessandimprovethedwellingsofthepoor。Inthishopehewasdisappointed;butinallotherwaystheschemeexceedinglyprospered，associationssprangupandcontinuetospringupinmanyquarters，andwherevertriedtheyhavebeenfoundofuse。
Here，then，wasaseriousemployment;ithasprovedhighlyusefultomankind;anditwasbegunbesides，inamoodofbitterness，undertheshockofwhatFleemingwouldsosensitivelyfeel—thedeathofawholefamilyofchildren。Yetitwasgoneuponlikeaholidayjaunt。IreadinColonelFergusson’sletterthathisschoolmatesbanteredhimwhenhebegantobroachhisscheme;sodidIatfirst，andhetookthebanterashealwaysdidwithenjoyment，untilhesuddenlyposedmewiththequestion：’Andnowdoyouseeanyotherjokestomake？Well，then，’saidhe，’that’sallright。
Iwantedyoutohaveyourfunoutfirst;nowwecanbeserious。’
Andthenwithaglowingheatofpleasure，helaidhisplansbeforeme，revellinginthedetails，revellinginhope。Itwasashewroteaboutthejoyofelectricalexperiment。’WhatshallI
comparethemto？Anewsong？—aGreekplay？’Delightattendedtheexerciseofallhispowers;delightpaintedthefuture。Oftheseidealvisions，some（asIhavesaid）failedoftheirfruition。Andtheillusionwascharacteristic。Fleemingbelievedwehadonlytomakeavirtuecheapandeasy，andthenallwouldpractiseit;thatforanendunquestionablygood，menwouldnotgrudgealittletroubleandalittlemoney，thoughtheymightstumbleatlaboriouspainsandgeneroussacrifices。Hecouldnotbelieveinanyresolutebadness。’Icannotquitesay，’hewroteinhisyoungmanhood，’thatIthinkthereisnosinormisery。ThisI
cansay：Idonotrememberonesinglemaliciousactdonetomyself。InfactitisratherawkwardwhenIhavetosaytheLord’sPrayer。Ihavenobody’strespassestoforgive。’Andtothepoint，Irememberoneofourdiscussions。Isaiditwasadangerouserrornottoadmittherewerebadpeople;he，thatitwasonlyaconfessionofblindnessonourpart，andthatweprobablycalledothersbadonlysofaraswewerewrappedinourselvesandlackinginthetransmigratoryforcesofimagination。Iundertooktodescribetohimthreepersonsirredeemablybadandwhomheshouldadmittobeso。Inthefirstcase，hedeniedmyevidence：’Youcannotjudgeamanuponsuchtestimony，’saidhe。Forthesecond，heowneditmadehimsicktohearthetale;butthentherewasnosparkofmalice，itwasmereweaknessIhaddescribed，andhehadneverdeniednorthoughttosetalimittoman’sweakness。Atmythirdgentleman，hestruckhiscolours。’Yes，’saidhe，’I’mafraidthatisabadman。’Andthenlookingatmeshrewdly：’I
wonderifitisn’taveryunfortunatethingforyoutohavemethim。’Ishowedhimradiantlyhowitwastheworldwemustknow，theworldasitwas，notaworldexpurgatedandprettifiedwithoptimisticrainbows。’Yes，yes，’saidhe;’butthisbadnessissuchaneasy，lazyexplanation。Won’tyoubetemptedtouseit，insteadoftryingtounderstandpeople？’
Intheyear1878，hetookapassionatefancyforthephonograph：
itwasatoyafterhisheart，atoythattouchedtheskirtsoflife，art，andscience，atoyprolificofproblemsandtheories。
SomethingfelltobedoneforaUniversityCricketGroundBazaar。
’Andthethoughtstruckhim，’Mr。Ewingwritestome，’toexhibitEdison’sphonograph，thentheverynewestscientificmarvel。Theinstrumentitselfwasnottobepurchased—IthinknospecimenhadthencrossedtheAtlantic—butacopyoftheTIMESwithanaccountofitwasathand，andbythehelpofthiswemadeaphonographwhichtoourgreatjoytalked，andtalked，too，withthepurestAmericanaccent。Itwassogoodthatasecondinstrumentwasgotreadyforthwith。BothwereshownattheBazaar：onebyMrs。
Jenkintopeoplewillingtopayhalfacrownforaprivateviewandtheprivilegeofhearingtheirownvoices，whileJenkin，perfervidasusual，gavehalf—hourlylecturesontheotherinanadjoiningroom—I，ashislieutenant，takingturns。Thethingwasinitswayalittletriumph。Afewofthevisitorsweredeaf，andhuggedthebeliefthattheywerethevictimsofanewkindoffancy—fairswindle。Oftheothers，manywhocametoscoffremainedtotakeraffletickets;andoneofthephonographswasfinallydisposedofinthisway，falling，byahappyfreakoftheballot—box，intothehandsofSirWilliamThomson。’TheotherremainedinFleeming’shands，andwasasourceofinfiniteoccupation。OnceitwassenttoLondon，’tobringbackonthetinfoilthetonesofaladydistinguishedforclearvocalisations;atanothertimeSirRobertChristisonwasbroughtintocontributehispowerfulbass’;andtherescarcelycameavisitoraboutthehouse，buthewasmadethesubjectofexperiment。Thevisitors，Iamafraid，tooktheirpartslightly：Mr。HoleandI，withunscientificlaughter，commemoratingvariousshadesofScotchaccent，orproposingto’teachthepoordumbanimaltoswear。’ButFleemingandMr。Ewing，whenwebutterfliesweregone，werelaboriouslyardent。Manythoughtsthatoccupiedthelateryearsofmyfriendwerecaughtfromthesmallutteranceofthattoy。Thencecamehisinquiriesintotherootsofarticulatelanguageandthefoundationsofliteraryart;hispapersonvowelsounds，hispapersintheSATURDAYREVIEWuponthelawsofverse，andmanyastrangeapproximation，manyajustnote，thrownoutintalkandnowforgotten。Ipassoverdozensofhisinterests，anddwellonthistriflingmatterofthephonograph，becauseitseemstomethatitdepictstheman。So，forFleeming，onethingjoinedintoanother，thegreaterwiththeless。Hecarednotwhereitwashescratchedthesurfaceoftheultimatemystery—
inthechild’stoy，inthegreattragedy，inthelawsofthetempest，orinthepropertiesofenergyormass—certainthatwhateverhetouched，itwasapartoflife—andhoweverhetouchedit，therewouldflowforhishappyconstitutioninterestanddelight。’Allfableshavetheirmorals，’saysThoreau，’buttheinnocentenjoythestory。’Thereisatruthrepresentedfortheimaginationintheselinesofanoblepoem，wherewearetold，thatinourhighesthoursofvisionaryclearness，wecanbut’seethechildrensportupontheshoreAndhearthemightywatersrollingevermore。’
TothisclearnessFleeminghadattained;andalthoughheheardthevoiceoftheeternalseasandweigheditsmessage，hewasyetable，untiltheendofhislife，tosportupontheseshoresofdeathandmysterywiththegaietyandinnocenceofchildren。
IV。
ItwasasastudentthatIfirstknewFleeming，asoneofthatmodestnumberofyoungmenwhosatunderhisministrationsinasoul—chillingclass—roomatthetopoftheUniversitybuildings。
Hispresencewasagainsthimasaprofessor：noone，leastofallstudents，wouldhavebeenmovedtorespecthimatfirstsight：
rathershortinstature，markedlyplain，boyishlyyounginmanner，cockinghisheadlikeaterrierwitheverymarkofthemostengagingvivacityandreadinesstobepleased，fullofwords，fullofparadox，astrangercouldscarcelyfailtolookathimtwice，amanthrownwithhiminatraincouldscarcelyfailtobeengagedbyhimintalk，butastudentwouldneverregardhimasacademical。
Yethehadthatfibreinhimthatorderalwaysexistedinhisclass—room。Idonotrememberthatheeveraddressedmeinlanguage;attheleastsignofunrest，hiseyewouldfallonmeandIwasquelled。Suchafeatiscomparativelyeasyinasmallclass;
butIhavemisbehavedinsmallerclassesandundereyesmoreOlympianthanFleemingJenkin’s。Hewassimplyamanfromwhosereproofoneshrank;inmannertheleastbuckrammedofmankind，hehad，inseriousmoments，anextremedignityofgoodness。Soitwasthatheobtainedapoweroverthemostinsubordinateofstudents，butapowerofwhichIwasmyselfunconscious。Iwasinclinedtoregardanyprofessorasajoke，andFleemingasaparticularlygoodjoke，perhapsthebroadestinthevastpleasantryofmycurriculum。
Iwasnotabletofollowhislectures;Isomehowdarednotmisconductmyself，aswasmycustomarysolace;andIrefrainedfromattending。Thisbroughtmeattheendofthesessionintoarelationwithmycontemnedprofessorthatcompletelyopenedmyeyes。Duringtheyear，badstudentasIwas，hehadshownacertainleaningtomysociety;Ihadbeentohishouse，hehadaskedmetotakeahumblepartinhistheatricals;Iwasamasterintheartofextractingacertificateevenatthecannon’smouth;
andIwasundernoapprehension。ButwhenIapproachedFleeming，I
foundmyselfinanotherworld;hewouldhavenaughtofme。’ItisquiteuselessforYOUtocometome，Mr。Stevenson。Theremaybedoubtfulcases，thereisnodoubtaboutyours。YouhavesimplyNOT
attendedmyclass。’Thedocumentwasnecessarytomeforfamilyconsiderations;andpresentlyIstoopedtosuchpleadingsandrosetosuchadjurations，asmademyearsburntoremember。Hewasquiteunmoved;hehadnopityforme。—’Youarenofool，’saidhe，’andyouchoseyourcourse。’Ishowedhimthathehadmisconceivedhisduty，thatcertificateswerethingsofform，attendanceamatteroftaste。Twothings，hereplied，hadbeenrequiredforgraduation，acertaincompetencyprovedinthefinaltrialsandacertainperiodofgenuinetrainingprovedbycertificate;ifhedidasIdesired，notlessthanifhegavemehintsforanexamination，hewasaidingmetostealadegree。’Yousee，Mr。Stevenson，thesearethelawsandIamheretoapplythem，’saidhe。Icouldnotsaybutthatthisviewwastenable，thoughitwasnewtome;I
changedmyattack：itwasonlyformyfather’seyethatIrequiredhissignature，itneednevergototheSenatus，Ihadalreadycertificatesenoughtojustifymyyear’sattendance。’Bringthemtome;Icannottakeyourwordforthat，’saidhe。’ThenIwillconsider。’ThenextdayIcamechargedwithmycertificates，ahumbleassortment。Andwhenhehadsatisfiedhimself，’Remember，’
saidhe，’thatIcanpromisenothing，butIwilltrytofindaformofwords。’Hedidfindone，andIamstillashamedwhenIthinkofhisshameingivingmethatpaper。Hemadenoreproachinspeech，buthismannerwasthemoreeloquent;ittoldmeplainlywhatadirtybusinesswewereon;andIwentfromhispresence，withmycertificateindeedinmypossession，butwithnoanswerablesenseoftriumph。ThatwasthebitterbeginningofmyloveforFleeming;
Ineverthoughtlightlyofhimafterwards。
Once，andonceonly，afterourfriendshipwastrulyfounded，didwecometoaconsiderabledifference。Itwas，bytherulesofpoorhumanity，myfaultandhis。Ihadbeenledtodabbleinsocietyjournalism;andthiscomingtohisears，hefeltitlikeadisgraceuponhimself。Sofarhewasexactlyintheright;buthewasscarcehappilyinspiredwhenhebroachedthesubjectathisowntableandbeforeguestswhowerestrangerstome。Itwasthesortoferrorhewasalwaysreadytorepent，butalwayscertaintorepeat;andonthisoccasionhespokesofreelythatIsoonmadeanexcuseandleftthehousewiththefirmpurposeofreturningnomore。Aboutamonthlater，Imethimatdinneratacommonfriend’s。’Now，’saidhe，onthestairs，’Iengageyou—likealadytodance—fortheendoftheevening。Youhavenorighttoquarrelwithmeandnotgivemeachance。’IhaveoftensaidandthoughtthatFleeminghadnotact;hebeliedtheopinionthen。I
rememberperfectlyhow，sosoonaswecouldgettogether，hebeganhisattack：’Youmayhavegroundsofquarrelwithme;youhavenoneagainstMrs。Jenkin;andbeforeIsayanotherword，IwantyoutopromiseyouwillcometoHERhouseasusual。’Aninterviewthusbeguncouldhavebutoneending：ifthequarrelwerethefaultofboth，themeritofthereconciliationwasentirelyFleeming’s。
Whenourintimacyfirstbegan，coldlyenough，accidentallyenoughonhispart，hehadstillsomethingofthePuritan，somethingoftheinhumannarrownessofthegoodyouth。Itfellfromhimslowly，yearbyyear，ashecontinuedtoripen，andgrowmilder，andunderstandmoregenerouslythemingledcharactersofmen。Intheearlydaysheoncereadmeabitterlecture;andIrememberleavinghishouseinafinespringafternoon，withthephysicaldarknessofdespairuponmyeyesight。Longafterhemademeaformalretractationofthesermonandaformalapologyforthepainhehadinflicted;addingdrolly，buttruly，’Yousee，atthattimeIwassomuchyoungerthanyou！’Andyeteveninthosedaystherewasmuchtolearnfromhim;andaboveallhisfinespiritofpiety，bravelyandtrustfullyacceptinglife，andhissingulardelightintheheroic。
Hispietywas，indeed，athingofchiefimportance。Hisviews（astheyarecalled）uponreligiousmattersvariedmuch;andhecouldneverbeinducedtothinkthemmoreorlessthanviews。’Alldogmaistomemereform，’hewrote;’dogmasaremereblindstrugglestoexpresstheinexpressible。Icannotconceivethatanysinglepropositionwhateverinreligionistrueinthescientificsense;
andyetallthewhileIthinkthereligiousviewoftheworldisthemosttrueview。TrytoseparatefromthemassoftheirstatementsthatwhichiscommontoSocrates，Isaiah，David，St。
Bernard，theJansenists，Luther，Mahomet，Bunyan—yes，andGeorgeEliot：ofcourseyoudonotbelievethatthissomethingcouldbewrittendowninasetofpropositionslikeEuclid，neitherwillyoudenythatthereissomethingcommonandthissomethingveryvaluable……Ishallbesorryiftheboysevergiveamoment’sthoughttothequestionofwhatcommunitytheybelongto—Ihopetheywillbelongtothegreatcommunity。’Ishouldobservethatastimewentonhisconformitytothechurchinwhichhewasborngrewmorecomplete，andhisviewsdrewnearertheconventional。’ThelongerIlive，mydearLouis，’hewrotebutafewmonthsbeforehisdeath，’themoreconvincedIbecomeofadirectcarebyGod—whichisreasonablyimpossible—butthereitis。’Andinhislastyearhetookthecommunion。
ButatthetimewhenIfellunderhisinfluence，hestoodmorealoof;andthismadehimthemoreimpressivetoayouthfulatheist。
Hehadakeensenseoflanguageanditsimperialinfluenceonmen;
languagecontainedallthegreatandsoundmetaphysics，hewaswonttosay;andawordoncemadeandgenerallyunderstood，hethoughtarealvictoryofmanandreason。Butheneverdreameditcouldbeaccurate，knowingthatwordsstandsymbolfortheindefinable。I
cametohimoncewithaproblemwhichhadpuzzledmeoutofmeasure：whatisacause？whyoutofsomanyinnumerablemillionsofconditions，allnecessary，shouldonebesingledoutandticketed’thecause’？’Youdonotunderstand，’saidhe。’Acauseistheanswertoaquestion：itdesignatesthatconditionwhichI
happentoknowandyouhappennottoknow。’Itwasthus，withpartialexceptionofthemathematical，thathethoughtofallmeansofreasoning：theywereinhiseyesbutmeansofcommunication，sotobeunderstood，sotobejudged，andonlysofartobecredited。