Themathematicalhemade，Isay，exceptionof：numberandmeasurehebelievedintotheextentoftheirsignificance，butthatsignificance，hewasneverwearyofremindingyou，wasslendertothevergeofnonentity。Sciencewastrue，becauseittoldusalmostnothing。Withafewabstractionsitcoulddeal，anddealcorrectly;conveyinghonestlyfainttruths。Applyitsmeanstoanyconcretefactoflife，andthishighdialectofthewisebecameachildishjargon。
Thustheatheisticyouthwasmetateveryturnbyascepticismmorecompletethanhisown，sothattheveryweaponsofthefightwerechangedinhisgrasptoswordsofpaper。Certainlythechurchisnotright，hewouldargue，butcertainlynottheanti—churcheither。Menarenotsuchfoolsastobewhollyinthewrong，noryetaretheysoplacedastobeeverwhollyintheright。
Somewhere，inmidairbetweenthedisputants，likehoveringVictoryinsomedesignofaGreekbattle，thetruthhangsundiscerned。Andinthemeanwhilewhatmattertheseuncertainties？Rightisveryobvious;agreatconsentofthebestofmankind，aloudvoicewithinus（whetherofGod，orwhetherbyinheritance，andinthatcasestillfromGod），guideandcommandusinthepathofduty。Hesawlifeverysimple;hedidnotloverefinements;hewasafriendtomuchconformityinunessentials。For（hewouldargue）itisinthislifeasitstandsaboutus，thatwearegivenourproblem;themannersofthedayarethecoloursofourpalette;theycondition，theyconstrainus;andamanmustbeverysureheisintheright，must（inafavouritephraseofhis）be’eitherverywiseorveryvain，’tobreakwithanygeneralconsentinethics。Iremembertakinghisadviceuponsomepointofconduct。’Now，’hesaid，’howdoyousupposeChristwouldhaveadvisedyou？’andwhenIhadansweredthathewouldnothavecounselledmeanythingunkindorcowardly，’No，’hesaid，withoneofhisshrewdstrokesattheweaknessofhishearer，’noranythingamusing。’Laterinlife，hemadelesscertaininthefieldofethics。’Theoldstoryoftheknowledgeofgoodandevilisaverytrueone，’Ifindhimwriting;
only（hegoeson）’theeffectoftheoriginaldoseismuchwornout，leavingAdam’sdescendantswiththeknowledgethatthereissuchathing—butuncertainwhere。’Hisgrowingsenseofthisambiguitymadehimlessswifttocondemn，butnolessstimulatingincounsel。’Yougrantyourselfcertainfreedoms。Verywell，’hewouldsay，’Iwanttoseeyoupayforthemsomeotherway。Youpositivelycannotdothis：thentherepositivelymustbesomethingelsethatyoucando，andIwanttoseeyoufindthatoutanddoit。’Fleemingwouldneversufferyoutothinkthatyouwereliving，iftherewerenot，somewhereinyourlife，sometouchofheroism，todoortoendure。
Thiswashisrarestquality。Faroninmiddleage，whenmenbegintoliedownwiththebestialgoddesses，ComfortandRespectability，thestringsofhisnaturestillsoundedashighanoteasayoungman’s。Helovedtheharshvoiceofdutylikeacalltobattle。Helovedcourage，enterprise，bravenatures，abraveword，anuglyvirtue;everythingthatliftsusabovethetablewhereweeatorthebedwesleepupon。Thiswithnotouchofthemotive—mongerortheascetic。Helovedhisvirtuestobepractical，hisheroestobegreateatersofbeef;helovedthejovialHeracles，lovedtheastuteOdysseus;nottheRobespierresandWesleys。Afinebuoyantsenseoflifeandofman’sunequalcharacterranthroughallhisthoughts。Hecouldnottoleratethespiritofthepick—thank;
beingwhatweare，hewishedustoseeotherswithagenerouseyeofadmiration，notwiththesmallnessoftheseekerafterfaults。
Ifthereshoneanywhereavirtue，nomatterhowincongruouslyset，itwasuponthevirtuewemustfixoureyes。IrememberhavingfoundmuchentertainmentinVoltaire’sSAUL，andtellinghimwhatseemedtomethedrollesttouches。Heheardmeout，asusualwhendispleased，andthenopenedfireonmewithred—hotshot。Tobelittleanoblestorywaseasy;itwasnotliterature，itwasnotart，itwasnotmorality;therewasnosustenanceinsuchaformofjesting，therewas（inhisfavouritephrase）’nonitrogenousfood’
insuchliterature。AndthenheproceededtoshowwhatafinefellowDavidwas;andwhatahardknothewasinaboutBathsheba，sothat（theinitialwrongcommitted）honourmightwellhesitateinthechoiceofconduct;andwhatowlsthosepeoplewerewhomarvelledbecauseanEasterntyranthadkilledUriah，insteadofmarvellingthathehadnotkilledtheprophetalso。’NowifVoltairehadhelpedmetofeelthat，’saidhe，’Icouldhaveseensomefuninit。’Helovedthecomedywhichshowsaherohuman，andyetleaveshimahero，andthelaughterwhichdoesnotlessenlove。
Itwasthistasteforwhatisfineinhuman—kind，thatruledhischoiceinbooks。Theseshouldallstrikeahighnote，whetherbraveortender，andsmackoftheopenair。Thenobleandsimplepresentationofthingsnobleandsimple，thatwasthe’nitrogenousfood’ofwhichhespokesomuch，whichhesoughtsoeagerly，enjoyedsoroyally。Hewrotetoanauthor，thefirstpartofwhosestoryhehadseenwithsympathy，hopingthatitmightcontinueinthesamevein。’Thatthismaybeso，’hewrote，’IlongwiththelongingofDavidforthewaterofBethlehem。Butnomanneeddieforthewaterapoetcangive，andallcandrinkittotheendoftime，andtheirthirstbequenchedandthepoolneverdry—andthethirstandthewaterarebothblessed。’ItwasintheGreeksparticularlythathefoundthisblessedwater;heloved’afreshair’whichhefound’abouttheGreekthingsevenintranslations’;
helovedtheirfreedomfromthemawkishandtherancid。ThetaleofDavidintheBible，theODYSSEY，Sophocles，AEschylus，Shakespeare，Scott;oldDumasinhischivalrousnote;DickensratherthanThackeray，andtheTALEOFTWOCITIESoutofDickens：
suchweresomeofhispreferences。ToAriostoandBoccacciohewasalwaysfaithful;BURNTNJALwasalatefavourite;andhefoundatleastapassingentertainmentintheARCADIAandtheGRANDCYRUS。
GeorgeEliotheoutgrew，findingherlatterlyonlysawdustinthemouth;butherinfluence，whileitlasted，wasgreat，andmusthavegonesomewaytoformhismind。Hewaseasilysetonedge，however，bydidacticwriting;andheldthatbooksshouldteachnootherlessonbutwhat’reallifewouldteach，wereitasvividlypresented。’Again，itwasthethingmadethattookhim，thedramainthebook;tothebookitself，toanymeritofthemaking，hewaslongstrangelyblind。HewouldprefertheAGAMEMNONintheproseofMr。Buckley，ay，toKeats。Buthewashismother’sson，learningtothelast。Hetoldmeonedaythatliteraturewasnotatrade;thatitwasnocraft;thattheprofessedauthorwasmerelyanamateurwithadoor—plate。’Verywell，’saidI，’thefirsttimeyougetaproof，Iwilldemonstratethatitisasmuchatradeasbricklaying，andthatyoudonotknowit。’Bytheverynextpost，aproofcame。Iopeneditwithfear;forhewasindeed，asthereaderwillseebythesevolumes，aformidableamateur;alwayswrotebrightly，becausehealwaysthoughttrenchantly;andsometimeswrotebrilliantly，astheworstofwhistlersmaysometimesstumbleonaperfectintonation。Butitwasallforthebestintheinterestsofhiseducation;andIwasable，overthatproof，togivehimaquarterofanhoursuchasFleeminglovedbothtogiveandtoreceive。Hissubsequenttrainingpassedoutofmyhandsintothoseofourcommonfriend，W。E。Henley。’HenleyandI，’hewrote，’havefairlygoodtimeswiggingoneanotherfornotdoingbetter。Iwighimbecausehewon’ttrytowritearealplay，andhewigsmebecauseIcan’ttrytowriteEnglish。’WhenInextsawhim，hewasfullofhisnewacquisitions。’AndyetIhavelostsomethingtoo，’hesaidregretfully。’UptonowScottseemedtomequiteperfect，hewasallIwanted。SinceIhavebeenlearningthisconfoundedthing，Itookuponeofthenovels，andagreatdealofitisbothcarelessandclumsy。’
V。
Hespokefourlanguageswithfreedom，notevenEnglishwithanymarkedpropriety。Whatheutteredwasnotsomuchwellsaid，asexcellentlyacted：sowemayheareverydaytheinexpressivelanguageofapoorly—writtendramaassumecharacterandcolourinthehandsofagoodplayer。NomanhadmoreoftheVISCOMICAinprivatelife;heplayednocharacteronthestage，ashecouldplayhimselfamonghisfriends。Itwasoneofhisspecialcharms;nowwhenthevoiceissilentandthefacestill，itmakesitimpossibletodojusticetohispowerinconversation。Hewasadelightfulcompaniontosuchascanbearbracingweather;nottotheveryvain;nottotheowlishlywise，whocannothavetheirdogmascanvassed;nottothepainfullyrefined，whosesentimentsbecomearticlesoffaith。Thespiritinwhichhecouldwritethathewas’muchrevivedbyhavinganopportunityofabusingWhistlertoaknotofhisspecialadmirers，’isaspiritapttobemisconstrued。
Hewasnotadogmatist，evenaboutWhistler。’Thehouseisfullofprettythings，’hewrote，whenonavisit;’butMrs。—’stasteinprettythingshasoneverybadfault：itisnotmytaste。’Andthatwasthetrueattitudeofhismind;buttheseeternaldifferencesitwashisjoytothreshoutandwrangleoverbythehour。ItwasnowonderifhelovedtheGreeks;hewasinmanywaysaGreekhimself;heshouldhavebeenasophistandmetSocrates;hewouldhavelovedSocrates，anddonebattlewithhimstaunchlyandmanfullyownedhisdefeat;andthedialogue，arrangedbyPlato，wouldhaveshowneveninPlato’sgallery。Heseemedintalkaggressive，petulant，fullofasingularenergy;asvainyouwouldhavesaidasapeacock，untilyoutrodonhistoes，andthenyousawthathewasatleastclearofallthesicklierelementsofvanity。Soundlyranghislaughatanyjestagainsthimself。Hewishedtobetaken，ashetookothers，forwhatwasgoodinhimwithoutdissimulationoftheevil，forwhatwaswiseinhimwithoutconcealmentofthechildish。Hehatedadrapedvirtue，anddespisedawitonitsowndefence。Andhedrew（ifImaysoexpressmyself）ahumanandhumorousportraitofhimselfwithallhisdefectsandqualities，ashethusenjoyedintalktherobustsportsoftheintelligence;givingandtakingmanfully，alwayswithoutpretence，alwayswithparadox，alwayswithexuberantpleasure;speakingwiselyofwhatheknew，foolishlyofwhatheknewnot;ateacher，alearner，butstillcombative;pickingholesinwhatwassaideventothelengthofcaptiousness，yetawareofallthatwassaidrightly;jubilantinvictory，delightedbydefeat：aGreeksophist，aBritishschoolboy。
Amongthelegendsofwhatwasonceaverypleasantspot，theoldSavileClub，notthendivorcedfromSavileRow，therearemanymemoriesofFleeming。Hewasnotpopularatfirst，beingknownsimplyas’themanwhodineshereandgoesuptoScotland’;buthegrewatlast，Ithink，themostgenerallylikedofallthemembers。
Tothosewhotrulyknewandlovedhim，whohadtastedtherealsweetnessofhisnature，Fleeming’sporcupinewayshadalwaysbeenamatterofkeenregret。Theyintroducedhimtotheirownfriendswithfear;sometimesrecalledthestepwithmortification。Itwasnotpossibletolookonwithpatiencewhileamansolovablethwartedloveateverystep。Butthecourseoftimeandtheripeningofhisnaturebroughtacure。ItwasattheSavilethathefirstremarkedachange;itsoonspreadbeyondthewallsoftheclub。PresentlyIfindhimwriting：’Willyoukindlyexplainwhathashappenedtome？AllmylifeIhavetalkedagooddeal，withthealmostunfailingresultofmakingpeoplesickofthesoundofmytongue。ItappearedtomethatIhadvariousthingstosay，andIhadnomalevolentfeelings，butneverthelesstheresultwasthatexpressedabove。Well，latelysomechangehashappened。IfItalktoapersononeday，theymusthavemethenext。Faceslightupwhentheyseeme。—\"Ah，Isay，comehere，\"—\"comeanddinewithme。\"It’sthemostpreposterousthingIeverexperienced。Itiscuriouslypleasant。Youhaveenjoyeditallyourlife，andthereforecannotconceivehowbewilderingaburstofitisforthefirsttimeatforty—nine。’Andthislatesunshineofpopularitystillfurthersoftenedhim。Hewasabitofaporcupinetothelast，stillsheddingdarts;orratherhewastotheendabitofaschoolboy，andmuststillthrowstones，buttheessentialtolerationthatunderlayhisdisputatiousness，andthekindnessthatmadeofhimatendersicknurseandageneroushelper，shonemoreconspicuouslythrough。Anewpleasurehadcometohim;andaswithallsoundnatures，hewasbetteredbythepleasure。
IcanbestshowFleeminginthislaterstagebyquotingfromavividandinterestingletterofM。EmileTrelat’s。Here，admirablyexpressed，ishowheappearedtoafriendofanothernation，whomheencounteredonlylateinlife。M。TrelatwillpardonmeifI
correct，evenbeforeIquotehim;butwhattheFrenchmansupposedtoflowfromsomeparticularbitternessagainstFrance，wasonlyFleeming’susualaddress。HadM。TrelatbeenItalian，Italywouldhavefaredasill;andyetItalywasFleeming’sfavouritecountry。
Voussavezcommentj’aiconnuFleemingJenkin！C’etaitenMai1878。Nousetionstousdeuxmembresdujurydel’ExpositionUniverselle。Onn’avaitrienfaitquivaillealapremiereseancedenotreclasse，quiavaiteulieulematin。Toutlemondeavaitparleetreparlepourneriendire。Celaduraitdepuishuitheures;iletaitmidi。Jedemandailaparolepourunemotiond’ordre，etjeproposaiquelaseancefutleveealaconditionquechaquemembrefrancais，EMPORTATadejeunerunjureetranger。
Jenkinapplaudit。’Jevousemimenedejeuner，’luicriai—je。’Jeveuxbien。’……Nouspartimes;encheminnousvousrencontrions;
ilvouspresenteetnousallonsdejeunertoustroisaupresduTrocadero。
Et，depuiscetemps，nousavonsetedevieuxamis。Nonseulementnouspassionsnosjourneesaujury，ounousetionstoujoursensemble，cote—a—cote。Maisnoshabitudess’etaientfaitestellesque，noncontentsdedejeunerenfacel’undel’autre，jeleramenaisdinerpresquetouslesjourschezmoi。Celaduraunequinzaine：puisilfutrappeleenAngleterre。Maisilrevint，etnousfimesencoreunebonneetapedevieintellectuelle，moraleetphilosophique。Jecroisqu’ilmerendaitdejatoutcequej’eprouvaisdesympathieetd’estime，etquejenefuspaspourriendanssonretouraParis。
Chosesinguliere！nousnousetionsattachesl’unal’autreparlessous—entendusbienplusqueparlamatieredenosconversations。A
vraidire，nousetionspresquetoujoursendiscussion;etilnousarrivaitdenousrireaunezl’unetl’autrependantdesheures，tantnousnousetonnionsreciproquementdeladiversitedenospointsdevue。JeletrouvaissiAnglais，etilmetrouvaissiFrancais！Iletaitsifranchementrevoltedecertaineschosesqu’ilvoyaitcheznous，etjecomprenaissimalcertaineschosesquisepassaientchezvous！Riendeplusinteressantquecescontactsquietaientdescontrastes，etquecesrencontresd’ideesquietaientdeschoses;riendesiattachantquelesechappeesdecoeuroud’espritauxquellescespetitsconflitsdonnaientatoutmomentcours。C’estdanscesconditionsque，pendantsonsejouraParisen1878，jeconduisisunpeupartoutmonnouvelami。Nousall？meschezMadameEdmondAdam，ouilvitpasserbeaucoupd’hommespolitiquesaveclesquelsilcausa。Maisc’estchezlesministresqu’ilfutinteresse。Lemomentetait，d’ailleurs，curieuxenFrance。Jemerappelleque，lorsquejelepresentaiauMinistreduCommerce，ilfitcettespirituellerepartie：’C’estlasecondefoisquejeviensenFrancesouslaRepublique。Lapremierefois，c’etaiten1848，elles’etaitcoiffeedetravers：jesuisbienheureuxdesalueraujourd’huivotreexcellence，quandelleamissonchapeaudroit。’UnefoisjelemenaivoircouronnerlaRosieredeNanterre。Ilysuivitlesceremoniescivilesetreligieuses;ilyassistaaubanquetdonneparleMaire;ilyvitnotredeLesseps，auquelilportauntoast。Lesoir，nousrevinmestardaParis;ilfaisaitchaud;nousetionsunpeufatigues;nousentr？mesdansundesrarescafesencoreouverts。Ildevintsilencieux。—’N’etes—
vouspascontentdevotrejournee？’luidis—je。—’O，si！maisjereflechis，etjemedisquevousetesunpeuplegai—touscesbravesgensetaientgaisaujourd’hui。C’estunevertu，lagaiete，etvousl’avezenFrance，cettevertu！’Ilmedisaitcelamelancoliquement;etc’etaitlapremierefoisquejeluientendaisfaireunelouangeadresseealaFrance……Maisilnefautpasquevousvoyiezlauneplaintedemapart。Jeseraisuningratsijemeplaignais;carilmedisaitsouvent：’QuelbonFrancaisvousfaites！’Etilm’aimaitacausedecela，quoiqu’ilsembl？tn’ainierpaslaFrance。C’etaitlauntraitdesonoriginalite。
Ilestvraiqu’ils’entiraitendisantquejeneressemblaipasamescompatriotes，ceaquoiilneconnaissaitrien！—Toutcelaetaitfortcurieux;car，moi—meme，jel’aimaisquoiqu’ilene–tamonpays！
En1879ilamenasonfilsAustinaParis。J’attiraicelui—ci。Ildejeunaitavecmoideuxfoisparsemaine。Jeluimontraicequ’etaitl’intimitefrancaiseenletutoyantpaternellement。Celareserrabeaucoupnosliensd’intimiteavecJenkin……Jefisinvitermonamiaucongresdel’ASSOCIATIONFRANCAISEPOUR
L’AVANCEMENTDESSCIENCES，quisetenaitaRheimsen1880。Ilyvint。J’eusleplaisirdeluidonnerlaparoledanslasectiondugenieciviletmilitaire，quejepresidais。IIyfitunetresinteressantecommunication，quimemontraitunefoisdeplusl’originalitedesesvaesetlas–retedesascience。C’estal’issuedececongresquejepassailuifairevisiteaRochefort，oujeletrouvaiinstalleenfamilleetoujepresentaipourlapremierefoismeshommagesasoneminentecompagne。Jelevislasousunjournouveauettouchantpourmoi。MadameJenkin，qu’ilentouraitsigalamment，etsesdeuxjeunesfilsdonnaientencoreplusdereliefasapersonne。J’emportaidesquelquesheuresquejepassaiacotedeluidanscecharmantpaysageunsouveniremu。
J’etaisalleenAngleterreen1882sanspouvoirgagnerEdimbourg。
J’yretournaien1883aveclacommissiond’assainissementdelavilledeParis，dontjefaisaispartie。Jenkinmerejoignit。Jelefisentendreparmescollegues;cariletaitfondateurd’unesocietedesalubrite。Ileutungrandsuccesparminous。Maiscevoyayemeresteratoujoursenmemoireparcequec’estlaquesefixadefenitivementnotreforteamitie。Ilm’invitaunjouradinerasonclubetaumomentdemefaireasseoiracotedelui，ilmeretintetmedit：’Jevoudraisvousdemanderdem’accorderquelquechose。C’estmonsentimentquenosrelationsnepeuventpassebiencontinuersivousnemedonnezpaslapermissiondevoustutoyer。Voulez—vousquenousnoustutoyions？’Jeluiprislesmainsetjeluidisqu’unepareillepropositionvenantd’unAnglais，etd’unAnglaisdesahautedistinction，c’etaitunevictoire，dontjeseraisfiertoutemavie。Etnouscommencionsauserdecettenouvelleformedansnosrapports。Voussavezavecquellefinesseilparlaitlefrancais：commeilenconnaissaittouslestours，commeiljouaitavecsesdifficultes，etmemeavecsespetitesgamineries。Jecroisqu’ilaeteheureuxdepratiqueravecmoicetutoiement，quines’adaptepasal’anglais，etquiestsifrancais。Jenepuisvouspeindrel’etendueetlavarietedenosconversationsdelasoiree。Maiscequejepuisvousdire，c’estque，souslacaresseduTU，nosideessesontelevees。Nousavionstoujoursbeaucoupriensemble;maisnousn’avionsjamaislaissedesbanalitess’introduiredansnosechangesdepensees。Cesoir—la，notrehorizonintellectuals’estelargie，etnousyavonspoussedesreconnaissancesprofondesetlointaines。Apresavoirvivementcauseatable，nousavonslonguementcauseausalon;etnousnousseparionslesoiraTrafalgarSquare，apresavoirlongelestrotters，stationneauxcoinsdesruesetdeuxfoisrebroussechemieennousreconduisantl’unl’autre。Iletaitpresd’uneheuredumatin！Maisquellebellepassed’argumentation，quelsbeauxechangesdesentiments，quellesfortesconfidencespatriotiquesnousavionsfournies！J’aicompriscesoirlaqueJenkinnedetestaitpaslaFrance，etjeluiserraifortlesmainsenl’embrassant。Nousnousquittionsaussiamisqu’onpuissel’etre;etnotreaffections’etaitparluietendueetcomprisedansunTUfrancais。
CHAPTERVII。1875—1885。
MrJenkin’sIllness—CaptainJenkin—TheGoldenWedding—DeathofUncleJohn—DeathofMr。andMrs。Austin—IllnessandDeathoftheCaptain—DeathofMrs。Jenkin—EffectonFleeming—
Telpherage—TheEnd。
ANDnowImustresumemynarrativeforthatmelancholybusinessthatconcludesallhumanhistories。InJanuaryoftheyear1875，whileFleeming’sskywasstillunclouded，hewasreadingSmiles。
’Ireadmyengineers’livessteadily，’hewrites，’butfindbiographiesdepressing。Isuspectonereasontobethatmisfortunesandtrialscanbegraphicallydescribed，buthappinessandthecausesofhappinesseithercannotbeorarenot。Agrandnewbranchofliteratureopenstomyview：adramainwhichpeoplebegininapoorwayandend，aftergettinggraduallyhappier，inanecstasyofenjoyment。Thecommonnovelisnotthethingatall。
Itgivesstrugglefollowedbyrelief。Iwanteachacttocloseonanewandtriumphanthappiness，whichhasbeensteadilygrowingallthewhile。Thisistherealantithesisoftragedy，wherethingsgetblackerandblackerandendinhopelesswoe。Smileshasnotgraspedmygrandidea，andonlyshowsabitterstrugglefollowedbyalittlerespitebeforedeath。Somefeeblecriticmightsaymynewideawasnottruetonature。I’msickofthisold—fashionednotionofart。Holdamirrorup，indeed！Let’spaintapictureofhowthingsoughttobeandholdthatuptonature，andperhapsthepooroldwomanmayrepentandmendherways。’The’grandidea’mightbepossibleinart;noteventheingenuityofnaturecouldsoroundintheactuallifeofanyman。Andyetitmightalmostseemtofancythatshehadreadtheletterandtakenthehint;fortoFleemingthecrueltiesoffatewerestrangelyblendedwithtenderness，andwhendeathcame，itcameharshlytoothers，tohimnotunkindly。
Intheautumnofthatsameyear1875，Fleeming’sfatherandmotherwerewalkinginthegardenoftheirhouseatMerchiston，whenthelatterfelltotheground。Itwasthoughtatthetimetobeastumble;itwasinalllikelihoodapremonitorystrokeofpalsy。
Fromthatday，therefelluponheranabidingpanicfear;thatglib，superficialpartofusthatspeaksandreasonscouldallegenocause，scienceitselfcouldfindnomarkofdanger，ason’ssolicitudewaslaidatrest;buttheeyesofthebodysawtheapproachofablow，andtheconsciousnessofthebodytrembledatitscoming。Itcameinamoment;thebrilliant，spiritedoldladyleaptfromherbed，raving。Foraboutsixmonths，thisstageofherdiseasecontinuedwithmanypainfulandmanypatheticcircumstances;herhusbandwhotendedher，hersonwhowasunweariedinhisvisits，lookedfornochangeinherconditionbutthechangethatcomestoall。’Poormother，’IfindFleemingwriting，’Icannotgetthetonesofhervoiceoutofmyhead……I
mayhavetobearthispainforalongtime;andsoIambearingitandsparingmyselfwhateverpainseemsuseless。MercifullyIdosleep，IamsowearythatImustsleep。’Andagainlater：’I
coulddoverywell，ifmyminddidnotreverttomypoormother’sstatewheneverIstopattendingtomattersimmediatelybeforeme。’
Andthenextday：’Icanneverfeelamoment’spleasurewithouthavingmymother’ssufferingrecalledbytheveryfeelingofhappiness。Apretty，youngfacerecallshersbycontrast—acarewornfacerecallsitbyassociation。Itellyou，forIcanspeaktonooneelse;butdonotsupposethatIwilfullyletmyminddwellonsorrow。’
Inthesummerofthenextyear，thefrenzylefther;itleftherstonedeafandalmostentirelyaphasic，butwithsomeremainsofheroldsenseandcourage。Stoutlyshesettoworkwithdictionaries，torecoverherlosttongues;andhadalreadymadenotableprogress，whenathirdstrokescatteredheracquisitions。
Thenceforth，fornearlytenyears，strokefolloweduponstroke，eachstillfurtherjumblingthethreadsofherintelligence，butbydegreessogradualandwithsuchpartialityoflossandofsurvival，thatherprecisestatewasalwaysandtotheendamatterofdispute。Shestillrememberedherfriends;shestilllovedtolearnnewsofthemupontheslate;shestillreadandmarkedthelistofthesubscriptionlibrary;shestilltookaninterestinthechoiceofaplayforthetheatricals，andcouldrememberandfindparallelpassages;butalongsideofthesesurvivingpowers，werelapsesasremarkable，shemisbehavedlikeachild，andaservanthadtositwithherattable。Toseehersositting，speakingwiththetonesofadeafmutenotalwaystothepurpose，andtorememberwhatshehadbeen，wasamovingappealtoallwhoknewher。Suchwasthepathosofthesetwooldpeopleintheiraffliction，thateventhereserveofcitieswasmeltedandtheneighboursviedinsympathyandkindness。Wheresomanyweremorethanusuallyhelpful，itishardtodrawdistinctions;butIamdirectedandI
delighttomentioninparticularthegoodDr。JosephBell，Mr。
Thomas，andMr。ArchibaldConstablewithboththeirwives，theRev。
Mr。Belcombe（ofwhosegoodheartandtasteIdonothearforthefirsttime—thenewshadcometomebywayoftheInfirmary），andtheirnext—doorneighbour，unweariedinservice，MissHannahMayne。
NorshouldIomittomentionthatJohnRuffinicontinuedtowritetoMrs。Jenkintillhisowndeath，andthecleverladyknowntotheworldasVernonLeeuntiltheend：atouching，abecomingattentiontowhatwasonlythewreckandsurvivaloftheirbrilliantfriend。
ButhetowhomthisafflictionbroughtthegreatestchangewastheCaptainhimself。Whatwasbitterinhislot，heborewithunshakencourage;onlyonce，inthesetenyearsoftrial，hasMrs。FleemingJenkinseenhimweep;fortherestofthetimehiswife—hiscommandingofficer，nowbecomehistryingchild—wasservednotwithpatiencealone，butwithalovelyhappinessoftemper。Hehadbelongedallhislifetotheancient，formal，speechmaking，compliment—presentingschoolofcourtesy;thedictatesofthiscodepartookinhiseyesofthenatureofaduty;andhemustnowbecourteousfortwo。Partlyfromahappyillusion，partlyinatenderfraud，hekepthiswifebeforetheworldasastillactivepartner。Whenhepaidacall，hewouldhaveherwrite’withlove’
uponacard;orifthat（atthemoment）wastoomuch，hewouldgoarmedwithabouquetandpresentitinhername。Heevenwrotelettersforhertocopyandsign：aninnocentsubstitution，whichmayhavecausedsurprisetoRuffiniortoVernonLee，iftheyeverreceived，inthehandofMrs。Jenkintheveryobviousreflectionsofherhusband。Hehadalwaysadoredthiswifewhomhenowtendedandsoughttorepresentincorrespondence：itwasnow，ifnotbefore，herturntorepaythecompliment;mindenoughwaslefthertoperceivehisunweariedkindness;andashermoralqualitiesseemedtosurvivequiteunimpaired，achildishloveandgratitudewerehisreward。Shewouldinterruptaconversationtocrosstheroomandkisshim。Ifshegrewexcited（asshedidtoooften）itwashishabittocomebehindherchairandpathershoulder;andthenshewouldturnround，andclasphishandinhers，andlookfromhimtohervisitorwithafaceofprideandlove;anditwasatsuchmomentsonlythatthelightofhumanityrevivedinhereyes。Itwashardforanystranger，itwasimpossibleforanythatlovedthem，tobeholdthesemutescenes，torecallthepast，andnottoweep。ButtotheCaptain，Ithinkitwasallhappiness。
Afterthesesolongyears，hehadfoundhiswifeagain;perhapskinderthaneverbefore;perhapsnowonamoreequalfooting;
certainly，tohiseyes，stillbeautiful。Andthecallmadeonhisintelligencehadnotbeenmadeinvain。ThemerchantsofAuxCayes，whohadseenhimtriedinsome’counter—revolution’in1845，wrotetotheconsulofhis’ableanddecidedmeasures，’’hiscool，steadyjudgmentanddiscernment’withadmiration;andofhimself，as’acreditandanornamenttoH。M。NavalService。’Itisplainhemusthavesunkinallhispowers，duringtheyearswhenhewasonlyafigure，andoftenadumbfigure，inhiswife’sdrawing—room;
butwiththisnewtermofservice，hebrightenedvisibly。Heshowedtactandeveninventioninmanaginghiswife，guidingorrestrainingherbythetouch，holdingfamilyworshipsoarrangedthatshecouldfollowandtakepartinit。Hetook（totheworld’ssurprise）toreading—voyages，biographies，Blair’sSERMONS，even（forherletter’ssake）aworkofVernonLee’s，whichproved，however，morethanhewasquitepreparedfor。Heshonemore，inhisremarkableway，insociety;andtwicehehadalittleholidaytoGlenmorven，where，asmaybefancied，hewasthedelightoftheHighlanders。Oneofhislastpleasureswastoarrangehisdining—
room。Manyandmanyaroom（intheirwanderingandthriftlessexistence）hadheseenhiswifefurnishwithexquisitetaste，andperhapswith’considerableluxury’：nowitwashisturntobethedecorator。OnthewallhehadanengravingofLordRodney’saction，showingthePROTHEE，hisfather’sship，ifthereaderrecollects;oneithersideofthisonbrackets，hisfather’ssword，andhisfather’stelescope，agiftfromAdmiralBuckner，whohadusedithimselfduringtheengagement;higheryet，theheadofhisgrandson’sfirststag，portraitsofhissonandhisson’swife，andacoupleofoldWindsorjugsfromMrs。Buckner’s。Buthissimpletrophywasnotyetcomplete;adevicehadtobeworkedandframedandhungbelowtheengraving;andforthisheappliedtohisdaughter—in—law：’Iwantyoutoworkmesomething，Annie。Ananchorateachside—ananchor—standsforanoldsailor，youknow—standsforhope，youknow—ananchorateachside，andinthemiddleTHANKFUL。’Itisnoteasy，onanysystemofpunctuation，torepresenttheCaptain’sspeech。YetIhopetheremayshineoutofthesefacts，evenasthereshonethroughhisowntroubledutterance，someofthecharmofthatdelightfulspirit。
In1881，thetimeofthegoldenweddingcameroundforthatsadandprettyhousehold。ItfellonaGoodFriday，anditscelebrationcanscarcelyberecalledwithoutbothsmilesandtears。Thedrawing—roomwasfilledwithpresentsandbeautifulbouquets;
these，toFleemingandhisfamily，thegoldenbrideandbridegroomdisplayedwithunspeakablepride，shesopainfullyexcitedthattheguestsfearedeverymomenttoseeherstrickenafresh，heguidingandmoderatingherwithhiscustomarytactandunderstanding，anddoingthehonoursofthedaywithmorethanhisusualdelight。
Thencetheywerebroughttothedining—room，wheretheCaptain’sideaofafeastawaitedthem：teaandchampagne，fruitandtoastandchildishlittleluxuries，setforthpell—mellandpressedatrandomontheguests。Andherehemustmakeaspeechforhimselfandhiswife，praisingtheirdestiny，theirmarriage，theirson，theirdaughter—in—law，theirgrandchildren，theirmanifoldcausesofgratitude：surelythemostinnocentspeech，theold，sharpcontemnerofhisinnocencenowwatchinghimwitheyesofadmiration。Thenitwastimeforthegueststodepart;andtheywentaway，bathed，eventotheyoungestchild，intearsofinseparablesorrowandgladness，andleavingthegoldenbrideandbridegroomtotheirownsocietyandthatofthehirednurse。
ItwasagreatthingforFleemingtomake，eventhuslate，theacquaintanceofhisfather;buttheharrowingpathosofsuchscenesconsumedhim。Inalifeoftenseintellectualeffort，acertainsmoothnessofemotionaltenorweretobedesired;orweburnthecandleatbothends。Dr。Bellperceivedtheevilthatwasbeingdone;hepressedMrs。Jenkintorestrainherhusbandfromtoofrequentvisits;butherewasoneofthoseclear—cut，indubitabledutiesforwhichFleeminglived，andhecouldnotpardoneventhesuggestionofneglect。
Andnow，afterdeathhadsolongvisiblybutstillinnocuouslyhoveredabovethefamily，itbeganatlasttostrikeanditsblowsfellthickandheavy。ThefirsttogowasuncleJohnJenkin，takenatlastfromhisMexicandwellingandthelosttribesofIsrael;
andnothinginthisremarkableoldgentleman’slife，becamehimliketheleavingofit。Hissterling，jovialacquiescenceinman’sdestinywasadelighttoFleeming。’MyvisittoStowtinghasbeenaverystrangebutnotatallapainfulone，’hewrote。’Incaseyoueverwishtomakeapersondieasheoughttodieinanovel，’
hesaidtome，’Imusttellyouallaboutmyolduncle。’Hewastoseeanearerinstancebeforelong;forthisfamilyofJenkin，iftheywerenotveryaptlyfittedtolive，hadtheartofmanlydying。UncleJohnwasbutanoutsiderafterall;hehaddroppedoutofhailofhisnephew’swayoflifeandstationinsociety，andwasmorelikesomeshrewd，old，humblefriendwhoshouldhavekeptalodge;yetheledtheprocessionofbecomingdeaths，andbeganinthemindofFleemingthattrainoftenderandgratefulthought，whichwaslikeapreparationforhisown。AlreadyIfindhimwritinginthepluralof’theseimpendingdeaths’;alreadyIfindhiminquestofconsolation。’Thereislittlepaininstoreforthesewayfarers，’hewrote，’andwehavehope—morethanhope，trust。’
OnMay19，1884，Mr。Austinwastaken。Hewasseventy—eightyearsofage，sufferedsharplywithallhisoldfirmness，anddiedhappyintheknowledgethathehadlefthiswifewellcaredfor。Thishadalwaysbeenabosomconcern;fortheBarronswerelong—livedandhebelievedthatshewouldlongsurvivehim。ButtheirunionhadbeensofullandquietthatMrs。Austinlanguishedundertheseparation。Intheirlastyears，theywouldsitalleveningintheirowndrawing—roomhandinhand：twooldpeoplewho，foralltheirfundamentaldifferences，hadyetgrowntogetherandbecomealltheworldineachother’seyesandhearts;anditwasfelttobeakindrelease，wheneightmonthsafter，onJanuary14，1885，ElizaBarronfollowedAlfredAustin。’IwishIcouldsaveyoufromallpain，’wroteFleemingsixdayslatertohissorrowingwife，’I
wouldifIcould—butmywayisnotGod’sway;andofthisbeassured，—God’swayisbest。’
Intheendofthesamemonth，CaptainJenkincaughtcoldandwasconfinedtobed。Hewassounchangedinspiritthatatfirstthereseemednogroundoffear;buthisgreatagebegantotell，andpresentlyitwasplainhehadasummons。Thecharmofhissailor’scheerfulnessandancientcourtesy，ashelaydying，isnottobedescribed。Therehelay，singinghisoldseasongs;watchingthepoultryfromthewindowwithachild’sdelight;scribblingontheslatelittlemessagestohiswife，wholaybed—riddeninanotherroom;gladtohavePsalmsreadaloudtohim，iftheywereofapiousstrain—checking，withan’Idon’tthinkweneedreadthat，mydear，’anythatweregloomyorbloody。Fleeming’swifecomingtothehouseandaskingoneofthenursesfornewsofMrs。Jenkin，’Madam，Idonotknow，’saidthenurse;’forIamreallysocarriedawaybytheCaptainthatIcanthinkofnothingelse。’Oneofthelastmessagesscribbledtohiswifeandsentherwithaglassofthechampagnethathadbeenorderedforhimself，ran，inhismostfinishedveinofchildishmadrigal：’TheCaptainbowstoyou，mylove，acrossthetable。’WhentheendwasnearanditwasthoughtbestthatFleemingshouldnolongergohomebutsleepatMerchiston，hebrokehisnewstotheCaptainwithsometrepidation，knowingthatitcarriedsentenceofdeath。’Charming，charming—
charmingarrangement，’wastheCaptain’sonlycommentary。Itwastheproperthingforadyingman，ofCaptainJenkin’sschoolofmanners，tomakesomeexpressionofhisspiritualstate;nordidheneglecttheobservance。Withhisusualabruptness，’Fleeming，’
saidhe，’IsupposeyouandIfeelaboutallthisastwoChristiangentlemenshould。’Alastpleasurewassecuredforhim。HehadbeenwaitingwithpainfulinterestfornewsofGordonandKhartoum;
andbygreatgoodfortune，afalsereportreachedhimthatthecitywasrelieved，andthemenofSussex（hisoldneighbours）hadbeenthefirsttoenter。HesatupinbedandgavethreecheersfortheSussexregiment。Thesubsequentcorrection，ifitcameintime，wasprudentlywithheldfromthedyingman。AnhourbeforemidnightonthefifthofFebruary，hepassedaway：agedeighty—four。
WordofhisdeathwaskeptfromMrs。Jenkin;andshesurvivedhimnomorethannineandfortyhours。Onthedaybeforeherdeath，shereceivedaletterfromheroldfriendMissBellofManchester，knewthehand，kissedtheenvelope，andlaiditonherheart;sothatshetoodieduponapleasure。Halfanhouraftermidnight，ontheeighthofFebruary，shefellasleep：itissupposedinherseventy—eighthyear。
Thus，inthespaceoflessthantenmonths，thefourseniorsofthisfamilyweretakenaway;buttakenwithsuchfeaturesofopportunityintimeorpleasantcourageinthesufferer，thatgriefwastemperedwithakindofadmiration。TheeffectonFleemingwasprofound。Hispiousoptimismincreasedandbecametouchedwithsomethingmysticandfilial。’Thegraveisnotgood，theapproachestoitareterrible，’hehadwritteninthebeginningofhismother’sillness：hethoughtsonomore，whenhehadlaidfatherandmothersidebysideatStowting。Hehadalwayslovedlife;inthebrieftimethatnowremainedtohim，heseemedtobehalfinlovewithdeath。’Griefisnoduty，’hewrotetoMissBell;’itwasalltoobeautifulforgrief，’hesaidtome;buttheemotion，callitbywhatnameweplease，shookhimtohisdepths;
hiswifethoughthewouldhavebrokenhisheartwhenhemustdemolishtheCaptain’strophyinthedining—room，andheseemedthenceforthscarcelythesameman。
Theselastyearswereindeedyearsofanexcessivedemanduponhisvitality;hewasnotonlywornoutwithsorrow，hewaswornoutbyhope。Thesingularinventiontowhichhegavethenameoftelpherage，hadoflateconsumedhistime，overtaxedhisstrengthandoverheatedhisimagination。Thewordsinwhichhefirstmentionedhisdiscoverytome—’IamsimplyAlnaschar’—werenotonlydescriptiveofhisstateofmind，theywereinasenseprophetic;sincewhateverfortunemayawaithisideainthefuture，itwasnothistoseeitbringforthfruit。Alnascharhewasindeed;beholdingabouthimaworldallchanged，aworldfilledwithtelpheragewires;andseeingnotonlyhimselfandfamilybutallhisfriendsenriched。Itwashispleasure，whenthecompanywasfloated，toendowthosewhomhelikedwithstock;one，atleast，neverknewthathewasapossiblerichmanuntilthegravehadclosedoverhisstealthybenefactor。AndhoweverFleemingchafedamongmaterialandbusinessdifficulties，thisrainbowvisionneverfaded;andhe，likehisfatherandhismother，maybesaidtohavedieduponapleasure。Butthestraintold，andheknewthatitwastelling。’Iambecomingafossil，’hehadwrittenfiveyearsbefore，asakindofpleaforaholidayvisittohisbelovedItaly。’Takecare！IfIamMr。Fossil，youwillbeMrs。
Fossil，andJackwillbeJackFossil，andalltheboyswillbelittlefossils，andthenweshallbeacollection。’TherewasnofearmorechimericalforFleeming;yearsbroughthimnorepose;hewasaspackedwithenergy，asfieryinhope，asatthefirst;
weariness，towhichhebegantobenostranger，distressed，itdidnotquiethim。Hefearedforhimself，notwithoutground，thefatewhichhadovertakenhismother;otherssharedthefear。Inthechangedlifenowmadeforhisfamily，theeldersdead，thesonsgoingfromhomeupontheireducation，eventheirtrieddomestic（Mrs。AliceDunns）leavingthehouseaftertwenty—twoyearsofservice，itwasnotunnaturalthatheshouldreturntodreamsofItaly。Heandhiswifeweretogo（ashetoldme）on’arealhoneymoontour。’Hehadnotbeenalonewithhiswife’tospeakof，’headded，sincethebirthofhischildren。Butnowhewastoenjoythesocietyofhertowhomhewrote，intheselastdays，thatshewashis’Heavenonearth。’NowhewastorevisitItaly，andseeallthepicturesandthebuildingsandthescenesthatheadmiredsowarmly，andlayasideforatimetheirritationsofhisstrenuousactivity。Norwasthisall。Atriflingoperationwastorestorehisformerlightnessoffoot;anditwasarenovatedyouththatwastosetforthuponthisre‰nactedhoneymoon。
Theoperationwasperformed;itwasofatriflingcharacter，itseemedtogowell，nofearwasentertained;andhiswifewasreadingaloudtohimashelayinbed，whensheperceivedhimtowanderinhismind。Itisdoubtfulifheeverrecoveredasuregraspuponthethingsoflife;andhewasstillunconsciouswhenhepassedaway，Junethetwelfth，1885，inthefifty—thirdyearofhisage。Hepassed;butsomethinginhisgallantvitalityhadimpresseditselfuponhisfriends，andstillimpresses。Notfromoneortwoonly，butfrommany，Ihearthesametaleofhowtheimaginationrefusestoacceptourlossandinstinctivelylooksforhisreappearing，andhowmemoryretainshisvoiceandimagelikethingsofyesterday。Others，thewell—belovedtoo，dieandareprogressivelyforgotten;twoyearshavepassedsinceFleemingwaslaidtorestbesidehisfather，hismother，andhisUncleJohn;andthethoughtandthelookofourfriendstillhauntus。
APPENDIX。
NOTEONTHECONTRIBUTIONSOFFLEEMINGJENKINTOELECTRICALAND
ENGINEERINGSCIENCE。BYSIRWILLIAMTHOMSON，F。R。S。，LLD。，ETC。，ETC。
INthebeginningoftheyear1859myformercolleague（thefirstBritishUniversityProfessorofEngineering），LewisGordon，atthattimedeeplyengagedinthethennewworkofcablemakingandcablelaying，cametoGlasgowtoseeapparatusfortestingsubmarinecablesandsignallingthroughthem，whichIhadbeenpreparingforpracticaluseonthefirstAtlanticcable，andwhichhadactuallydoneserviceuponit，duringthesixweeksofitssuccessfulworkingbetweenValenciaandNewfoundland。AssoonashehadseensomethingofwhatIhadinhand，hesaidtome，’Iwouldliketoshowthistoayoungmanofremarkableability，atpresentengagedinourworksatBirkenhead。’FleemingJenkinwasaccordinglytelegraphedfor，andappearednextmorninginGlasgow。Heremainedforaweek，spendingthewholedayinmyclass—roomandlaboratory，andthuspleasantlybeganourlifelongacquaintance。Iwasmuchstruck，notonlywithhisbrightnessandability，butwithhisresolutiontounderstandeverythingspokenof，toseeifpossiblethoroughlythrougheverydifficultquestion，and（noifaboutthis！）toslurovernothing。Isoonfoundthatthoroughnessofhonestywasasstronglyengrainedinthescientificasinthemoralsideofhischaracter。
Inthefirstweekofouracquaintance，theelectrictelegraphand，particularly，submarinecables，andthemethods，machines，andinstrumentsforlaying，testing，andusingthem，formednaturallythechiefsubjectofourconversationsanddiscussions;asitwasinfactthepracticalobjectofJenkin’svisittomeinGlasgow;
butnotmuchoftheweekhadpassedbeforeIfoundhimremarkablyinterestedinsciencegenerally，andfullofintelligenteagernessonmanyparticularquestionsofdynamicsandphysics。WhenhereturnedfromGlasgowtoBirkenheadacorrespondencecommencedbetweenus，whichwascontinuedwithoutintermissionuptothelastdaysofhislife。Itcommencedwithawell—sustainedfireoflettersoneachsideaboutthephysicalqualitiesofsubmarinecables，andthepracticalresultsattainableinthewayofrapidsignallingthroughthem。JenkinusedexcellentlythevaluableopportunitiesforexperimentallowedhimbyNewall，andhispartnerLewisGordon，attheirBirkenheadfactory。Thushebegandefinitescientificinvestigationofthecopperresistanceoftheconductor，andtheinsulatingresistanceandspecificinductivecapacityofitsgutta—perchacoating，inthefactory，invariousstagesofmanufacture;andhewastheveryfirsttointroducesystematicallyintopracticethegrandsystemofabsolutemeasurementfoundedinGermanybyGaussandWeber。Theimmensevalueofthisstep，ifonlyinrespecttotheelectrictelegraph，isamplyappreciatedbyallwhorememberorwhohavereadsomethingofthehistoryofsubmarinetelegraphy;butitcanscarcelybeknowngenerallyhowmuchitisduetoJenkin。
Lookingtothearticle’Telegraph（Electric）’inthelastvolumeoftheoldeditionofthe’EncyclopaediaBritannica，’whichwaspublishedabouttheyear1861，wefindonrecordthatJenkin’smeasurementsinabsoluteunitsofthespecificresistanceofpuregutta—percha，andofthegutta—perchawithChatterton’scompoundconstitutingtheinsulationoftheRedSeacableof1859，aregivenastheonlyresultsinthewayofabsolutemeasurementsoftheelectricresistanceofaninsulatingmaterialwhichhadthenbeenmade。Theseremarksareprefacedinthe’Encyclopaedia’articlebythefollowingstatement：’Notelegraphictestingoughtinfuturetobeacceptedinanydepartmentoftelegraphicbusinesswhichhasnotthisdefinitecharacter;althoughitisonlywithinthelastyearthatconvenientinstrumentsforworking，inabsolutemeasure，havebeenintroducedatall，andthewholesystemofabsolutemeasureisstillalmostunknowntopracticalelectricians。’
Aparticularresultofgreatimportanceinrespecttotestingisreferredtoasfollowsinthe’Encyclopaedia’article：’Theimportanceofhavingresultsthusstatedinabsolutemeasureisillustratedbythecircumstance，thatthewriterhasbeenableatoncetocomparethem，inthemannerstatedinaprecedingparagraph，withhisownpreviousdeductionsfromthetestingsoftheAtlanticcableduringitsmanufacturein1857，andwithWeber’smeasurementsofthespecificresistanceofcopper。’Ithasnowbecomeuniversallyadapted—firstofallinEngland;twenty—twoyearslaterbyGermany，thecountryofitsbirth;andbyFranceandItaly，andalltheothercountriesofEuropeandAmerica—
practicallythewholescientificworld—attheElectricalCongressinParisintheyears1882and1884。
Animportantpaperofthirtyquartopagespublishedinthe’TransactionsoftheRoyalSociety’forJune19，1862，underthetitle’ExperimentalResearchesontheTransmissionofElectricSignalsthroughsubmarinecables，PartI。LawsofTransmissionthroughvariouslengthsofonecable，byFleemingJenkin，Esq。，communicatedbyC。Wheatstone，Esq。，F。R。S。，’containsanaccountofalargepartofJenkin’sexperimentalworkintheBirkenheadfactoryduringtheyears1859and1860。ThispaperiscalledPartI。PartII。alasneverappeared，butsomethingthatitwouldhaveincludedwecanseefromthefollowingominousstatementwhichI
findneartheendofPartI。：’Fromthisvalue，theelectrostaticalcapacityperunitoflengthandthespecificinductivecapacityofthedielectric，couldbedetermined。Thesepointswill，however，bemorefullytreatedofinthesecondpartofthispaper。’JenkinhadinfactmadeadeterminationatBirkenheadofthespecificinductivecapacityofgutta—percha，orofthegutta—perchaandChatterton’scompoundconstitutingtheinsulationofthecable，onwhichheexperimented。ThiswastheveryfirsttruemeasurementofthespecificinductivecapacityofadielectricwhichhadbeenmadeafterthediscoverybyFaradayoftheexistenceoftheproperty，andhisprimitivemeasurementofitforthethreesubstances，glass，shellac，andsulphur;andatthetimewhenJenkinmadehismeasurementstheexistenceofspecificinductivecapacitywaseitherunknown，orignored，ordenied，byalmostallthescientificauthoritiesoftheday。
Theoriginaldeterminationofthemicrofarad，broughtoutundertheauspicesoftheBritishAssociationCommitteeonElectricalStandards，isduetoexperimentalworkbyJenkin，describedinapaper，’ExperimentsonCapacity，’constitutingNo。IV。oftheappendixtotheReportpresentedbytheCommitteetotheDundeeMeetingof1867。Nootherdetermination，sofarasIknow，ofthisimportantelementofelectricmeasurementhashithertobeenmade;
anditisnosmallthingtobeproudofinrespecttoJenkin’sfameasascientificandpracticalelectricianthatthemicrofaradwhichwenowalluseishis。
TheBritishAssociationunitofelectricalresistance，onwhichwasfoundedthefirstpracticalapproximationtoabsolutemeasurementonthesystemofGaussandWeber，waslargelyduetoJenkin’szealasoneoftheoriginators，andperseveringenergyasaworkingmember，ofthefirstElectricalStandardsCommittee。Theexperimentalworkoffirstmakingpracticalstandards，foundedontheabsolutesystem，whichledtotheunitnowknownastheBritishAssociationohm，waschieflyperformedbyClerkMaxwellandJenkin。
TherealisationofthegreatpracticalbenefitwhichhasresultedfromtheexperimentalandscientificworkoftheCommitteeiscertainlyinalargemeasureduetoJenkin’szealandperseveranceassecretary，andaseditorofthevolumeofCollectedReportsoftheworkoftheCommittee，whichextendedovereightyears，from1861till1869。ThevolumeofReportsincludedJenkin’sCantorLecturesofJanuary，1866，’OnSubmarineTelegraphy，’throughwhichthepracticalapplicationsofthescientificprinciplesforwhichhehadworkedsodevotedlyforeightyearsbecamepartofgeneralknowledgeintheengineeringprofession。
Jenkin’sscientificactivitycontinuedwithoutabatementtotheend。Forthelasttwoyearsofhislifehewasmuchoccupiedwithanewmodeofelectriclocomotion，averyremarkableinventionofhisown，towhichhegavethenameof’Telpherage。’Heperseveredwithendlessingenuityincarryingoutthenumerousanddifficultmechanicalarrangementsessentialtotheproject，uptotheverylastdaysofhisworkinlife。HehadcompletedalmosteverydetailoftherealisationofthesystemwhichwasrecentlyopenedforpracticalworkingatGlynde，inSussex，fourmonthsafterhisdeath。
Hisbookon’MagnetismandElectricity，’publishedasoneofLongman’selementaryseriesin1873，markedanewdepartureintheexpositionofelectricity，asthefirsttext—bookcontainingasystematicapplicationofthequantitativemethodsinauguratedbytheBritishAssociationCommitteeonElectricalStandards。In1883
theseventheditionwaspublished，aftertherehadalreadyappearedtwoforeigneditions，oneinItalianandtheotherinGerman。
Hispapersonpurelyengineeringsubjects，thoughnotnumerous，areinterestingandvaluable。Amongstthesemaybementionedthearticle’Bridges，’writtenbyhimforthenintheditionofthe’EncyclopaediaBritannica，’andafterwardsrepublishedasaseparatetreatisein1876;andapaper’OnthePracticalApplicationofReciprocalFigurestotheCalculationofStrainsinFramework，’readbeforetheRoyalSocietyofEdinburgh，andpublishedinthe’Transactions’ofthatSocietyin1869。Butperhapsthemostimportantofallishispaper’OntheApplicationofGraphicMethodstotheDeterminationoftheEfficiencyofMachinery，’readbeforetheRoyalSocietyofEdinburgh，andpublishedinthe’Transactions，’vol。xxviii。（1876—78），forwhichhewasawardedtheKeithGoldMedal。Thispaperwasacontinuationofthesubjecttreatedin’Reulaux’sMechanism，’and，recognisingthevalueofthatwork，suppliedtheelementsrequiredtoconstitutefromReulaux’skinematicsystemafullmachinereceivingenergyanddoingwork。