the life of thomas telford-第23部分

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boy；　and　was　born　and　brought　up　in　a　valley　so　secluded　that　it

could　not　even　boast　of　a　cluster　of　houses　of　the　dimensions　of　a

village。



Telford's　father　was　a　herd　on　the　sheep…farm　of　Glendinning。

The　farm　consists　of　green　hills；　lying　along　the　valley　of　the　Meggat；

a　little　burn；　which　descends　from　the　moorlands　on　the　east；　and

falls　into　the　Esk　near　the　hamlet　of　Westerkirk。　　John　Telford's

cottage　was　little　better　than　a　shieling；　consisting　of　four　mud

walls；　spanned　by　a　thatched　roof。　　It　stood　upon　a　knoll　near　the

lower　end　of　a　gully　worn　in　the　hillside　by　the　torrents　of　many

winters。



The　ground　stretches　away　from　it　in　a　long　sweeping　slope　up　to

the　sky；　and　is　green　to　the　top；　except　where　the　bare　grey　rocks

in　some　places　crop　out　to　the　day。　　From　the　knoll　may　be　seen

miles　on　miles　of　hills　up　and　down　the　valley；　winding　in　and　out；

sometimes　branching　off　into　smaller　glens；　each　with　its　gurgling

rivulet　of　peaty…brown　water　flowing　down　from　the　mosses　above。

Only　a　narrow　strip　of　arable　land　is　here　and　there　visible　along

the　bottom　of　the　dale；　all　above　being　sheep…pasture；　moors；　and

rocks。　　At　Glendinning　you　seem　to　have　got　almost　to　the　world's　end。

There　the　road　ceases；　and　above　it　stretch　trackless　moors；

the　solitude　of　which　is　broken　only　by　the　whimpling　sound　of　the

burns　on　their　way　to　the　valley　below；　the　hum　of　bees　gathering

honey　among　the　heather；　the　whirr　of　a　blackcock　on　the　wing；　the

plaintive　cry　of　the　ewes　at　lambing…time；　or　the　sharp　bark　of　the

shepherd's　dog　gathering　the　flock　together　for　the　fauld。



＇Image＇　Telford's　Birthplace



In　this　cottage　on　the　knoll　Thomas　Telford　was　born　on　the　9th　of

August；　1757；　and　before　the　year　was　out　he　was　already　an　orphan。

The　shepherd；　his　father；　died　in　the　month　of　November；　and　was

buried　in　Westerkirk　churchyard；　leaving　behind　him　his　widow　and

her　only　child　altogether　unprovided　for。　　We　may　here　mention　that

one　of　the　first　things　which　that　child　did；　when　he　had　grown　up

to　manhood　and　could　〃cut　a　headstone；〃　was　to　erect　one　with　the

following　inscription；　hewn　and　lettered　by　himself；　over　his

father's　grave：　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃IN　MEMORY　OF

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　TELFORD；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHO　AFTER　LIVING　33　YEARS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AN　UNBLAMEABLE　SHEPHERD；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DIED　AT　GLENDINNING；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NOVEMBER；　1757；〃



a　simple　but　poetical　epitaph；　which　Wordsworth　himself　might　have

written。



The　widow　had　a　long　and　hard　struggle　with　the　world　before　her；

but　she　encountered　it　bravely。　　She　had　her　boy　to　work　for；　and；

destitute　though　she　was；　she　had　him　to　educate。　　She　was　helped；

as　the　poor　so　often　are；　by　those　of　her　own　condition；　and　there

is　no　sense　of　degradation　in　receiving　such　help。　　One　of　the

risks　of　benevolence　is　its　tendency　to　lower　the　recipient　to　the

condition　of　an　alms…taker。　　Doles　from　poor's…boxes　have　this

enfeebling　effect；　but　a　poor　neighbour　giving　a　destitute　widow　a

help　in　her　time　of　need　is　felt　to　be　a　friendly　act；　and　is　alike

elevating　to　the　character　of　both。　　Though　misery　such　as　is

witnessed　in　large　towns　was　quite　unknown　in　the　valley；　there　was

poverty；　but　it　was　honest　as　well　as　hopeful；　and　none　felt

ashamed　of　it。　　The　farmers　of　the　dale　were　very　primitive*＇4＇

in　their　manners　and　habits；　and　being　a　warm…hearted；　though　by　no

means　a　demonstrative　race；　they　were　kind　to　the　widow　and　her

fatherless　boy。　　They　took　him　by　turns　to　live　with　them　at　their

houses；　and　gave　his　mother　occasional　employment。　　In　summer　she

milked　the　ewes　and　made　hay；　and　in　harvest　she　went　a…shearing；

contriving　not　only　to　live；　but　to　be　cheerful。



The　house　to　which　the　widow　and　her　son　removed　at　the　Whitsuntide

following　the　death　of　her　husband　was　at　a　place　called　The　Crooks；

about　midway　between　Glendinning　and　Westerkirk。　　It　was　a　thatched

cot…house；　with　two　ends；　in　one　of　which　lived　Janet　Telford

（more　commonly　known　by　her　own　name　of　Janet　Jackson）　and　her　son

Tom；　and　in　the　other　her　neighbour　Elliot；　one　door　being　common　to

both。



＇Image＇　Cottage　at　the　Crooks。



Young　Telford　grew　up　a　healthy　boy；　and　he　was　so　full　of　fun　and

humour　that　he　became　known　in　the　valley　by　the　name　of　〃Laughing

Tam。〃　　When　he　was　old　enough　to　herd　sheep　he　went　to　live　with　a

relative；　a　shepherd　like　his　father；　and　he　spent　most　of　his　time

with　him　in　summer　on　the　hill…side　amidst　the　silence　of　nature。

In　winter　he　lived　with　one　or　other　of　the　neighbouring　farmers。

He　herded　their　cows　or　ran　errands；　receiving　for　recompense　his

meat；　a　pair　of　stockings；　and　five　shillings　a　year　for　clogs。

These　were　his　first　wages；　and　as　he　grew　older　they　were

gradually　increased。



But　Tom　must　now　be　put　to　school；　and；　happily；　small　though　the

parish　of　Westerkirk　was；　it　possessed　the　advantage　of　that

admirable　institution；　the　parish　school。　　The　legal　provision　made

at　an　early　period　for　the　education　of　the　people　in　Scotland；

proved　one　of　their　greatest　boons。　　By　imparting　the　rudiments　of

knowledge　to　all；　the　parish　schools　of　the　country　placed　the

children　of　the　peasantry　on　a　more　equal　footing　with　the　children

of　the　rich；　and　to　that　extent　redressed　the　inequalities　of

fortune。　　To　start　a　poor　boy　on　the　road　of　life　without

instruction；　is　like　starting　one　on　a　race　with　his　eyes　bandaged

or　his　leg　tied　up。　　Compared　with　the　educated　son　of　the　rich　man；

the　former　has　but　little　chance　of　sighting　the　winning　post。



To　our　orphan　boy　the　merely　elementary　teaching　provided　at　the

parish　school　of　Westerkirk　was　an　immense　boon。　　To　master　this　was

the　first　step　of　the　ladder　he　was　afterwards　to　mount：　his　own

industry；　energy；　and　ability　must　do　the　rest。　　To　school

accordingly　he　went；　still　working　a…field　or　herding　cattle　during

the　summer　months。　　Perhaps　his　own　〃penny　fee〃　helped　to　pay　the

teacher's　hire；　but　it　is　supposed　that　his　cousin　Jackson　defrayed

the　principal　part　of　the　expense　of　his　instruction。　　It　was　not

much　that　he　learnt；　but　in　acquiring　the　arts　of　reading；　writing；

and　figures；　he　learnt　the　beginnings　of　a　great　deal。　　Apart　from

the　question　of　learning；　there　was　another　manifest　advantage　to

the　poor　boy　in　mixing　freely　at　the　parish　school　with　the　sons　of

the　neighbouring　farmers　and　proprietors。　　Such　intercourse　has　an

influence　upon　a　youth's　temper；　manners；　and　tastes；　which　is

quite　as　important　in　the　education　of　character　as　the　lessons　of

the　master　himself；　and　Telford　often；　in　after　life；　referred　with

pleasure　to　the　benefits　which　he　had　derived　from　his　early　school

friendships。　　Among　those　to　whom　he　was　accustomed　to　look　back

with　most　pride；　were　the　two　elder　brothers　of　the　Malcolm　family；

both　of　whom　rose　to　high　rank　in　the　service　of　their　country；

William　Telford；　a　youth　of　great　promise；　a　naval　surgeon；

who　died　young；　and　the　brothers　William　and　Andrew　Little；　the　former

of　whom　settled　down　as　a　farmer　in　Eskdale；　and　the　latter；

a　surgeon；　lost　his　eyesight　when　on　service　off　the　coast　of　Africa。

Andrew　Little　afterwards　established　himself　as　a　teacher　at

Langholm；　where　he　educated；　amongst　others；　General　Sir　Charles

Pasley；　Dr。　Irving；　the　Custodier　of　the　Advocate's　Library　at

Edinburgh；　and　others　known　to　fame　beyond　the　bounds　of　their

native　valley。　　Well　might　Telford　say；　when　an　old　man；　full　of

years　and　honours；　on　sitting　down　to　write　his　autobiography；

〃I　still　recollect　with　pride　and　pleasure　my　native　parish　of

Westerkirk；　on　the　banks　of　the　Esk；　where　I　was　born。〃



＇Image＇　Westerkirk　Church　and　School。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　I。



*＇1＇　Sir　Waiter　Scott；　in　his　notes　to　the　'Minstrelsy　of　the

Scottish　Border；'　says　that　the　common　people　of　the　high　parts　of

Liddlesdale　and　the　country　adjacent　to　this　day　hold　the　memory　of

Johnnie　Armstrong　in　very　high　respect。



*＇2＇　It　was　long　before　the　Reformation　flowed　into　the　secluded

valley　of　the　Esk；　but　when　it　did；　the　energy　of　the　Borderers

displayed　itself　in　the　extreme　form　of　their　opposition　to　the　old

religion。　　The　Eskdale　people　became　as　resolute　in　their

covenanting　as　they　had　before　been　in　their　free…booting；　the

moorland　fastnesses　of　the　moss…troopers　becoming　the　haunts　of　the

persecuted　ministers　in　the　reign　of　the　second　James。　　A　little

above　Langholm　is　a　hill　known　as　〃Peden's　View；〃　and　the　well　in

the　green　hollow　at　its　foot　is　still　called　〃Peden's　Well〃that

place　having　been　the　haunt　of　Alexander　Peden；　the　〃prophet。〃　　His

hiding…place　was　among　the　alder…bushes　in　the　hollow；　while　from

the　hill…top　he　could　look　up　the　valley；　and　see　whether　the

Johnstones　of　Wester　Hall　were　coming。　　Quite　at　the　head　of　the

same　valley；　at　a　place　called　Craighaugh；　on　Eskdale　Muir；　one

Hislop；　a　young　covenanter；　was　shot　by　Johnstone's　men；　and　buried

where　he　fell；　a　gray　slabstone　still　marking　the　place　of　his　rest。

Since　that　time；　however；　quiet　has　reigned　in　Eskdale；　and　its

small　population　have　gone　about　their　daily　industry　from　one

generation　to　another　in　peace。　　Yet　though　secluded　and　apparently

shut　out　by　the　surrounding　hills　from　the　outer　world；　there　is

not　a　throb　of　the　nation's　heart　but　pulsates　along　the　valley；

and　when　the　author　visited　it　some　years　since；　he　found　that　a

wave　of　the　great　Volunteer　movement　had　flowed　into　Eskdale；

and　the　〃lads　of　Langholm〃　were　drilling　and　marching　under　their

chief；　young　Mr。　Malcolm　of　the　Burnfoot；　with　even　more　zeal　than

in　the　populous　towns　and　cities　of　the　south。



*＇3＇　The　names　of　the　families　in　the　valley　remain　very　nearly　the

same　as　they　were　three　hundred　years　agothe　Johnstones；　Littles；

Scotts；　and　Beatties　prevailing　abo