heroes of the telegraph-第22部分

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hinbreck。　　＇According　　to　BURKE'S　PEERAGE　（1889）；　the　title　went　to　another　branch。＇

Charles　Jenkin；　senior；　died　in　1831；　leaving　his　estate　so　heavily　encumbered；　through　extravagance　and　high　living；　that　only　the　mill…　farm　was　saved　for　John；　the　heir；　an　easy…going；　unpractical　man；　with　a　turn　for　abortive　devices。　　His　brother　Charles　married　soon　afterwards；　and　with　the　help　of　his　wife's　money　bought　in　most　of　Stowting　Court；　which；　however；　yielded　him　no　income　until　late　in　life。　　Charles　was　a　useful　officer　and　an　amiable　gentleman；　but　lacking　energy　and　talent；　he　never　rose　above　the　grade　of　Commander；　and　was　superseded　after　forty…five　years　of　service。　　He　is　represented　as　a　brave；　single…minded；　and　affectionate　sailor；　who　on　one　occasion　saved　several　men　from　suffocation　by　a　burning　cargo　at　the　risk　of　his　own　life。　　Henrietta　Camilla　Jackson；　his　wife；　was　a　woman　of　a　strong　and　energetic　character。　　Without　beauty　of　countenance；　she　possessed　the　art　of　pleasing；　and　in　default　of　genius　she　was　endowed　with　a　variety　of　gifts。　　She　played　the　harp；　sang；　and　sketched　with　native　art。　　At　seventeen；　on　hearing　Pasta　sing　in　Paris；　she　sought　out　the　artist　and　solicited　lessons。　　Pasta；　on　hearing　her　sing；　encouraged　her；　and　recommended　a　teacher。　　She　wrote　novels；　which；　however；　failed　to　make　their　mark。　　At　forty；　on　losing　her　voice；　she　took　to　playing　the　piano；　practising　eight　hours　a　day；　and　when　she　was　over　sixty　she　began　the　study　of　Hebrew。

The　only　child　of　this　union　was　Henry　Charles　Fleeming　Jenkin；　generally　called　Fleeming　Jenkin；　after　Admiral　Fleeming；　one　of　his　father's　patrons。　　He　was　born　on　March　25；　1833；　in　a　building　of　the　Government　near　Dungeness；　his　father　at　that　time　being　on　the　coast…　guard　service。　　His　versatility　was　evidently　derived　from　his　mother；　who；　owing　to　her　husband's　frequent　absence　at　sea　and　his　weaker　character；　had　the　principal　share　in　the　boy's　earlier　training。

Jenkin　was　fortunate　in　having　an　excellent　　education。　　His　mother　took　him　to　the　south　of　Scotland；　where；　chiefly　at　Barjarg；　she　taught　him　drawing　among　other　things；　and　allowed　him　to　ride　his　pony　on　the　moors。　　He　went　to　school　at　Jedburgh；　and　afterwards　to　the　Edinburgh　Academy；　where　he　carried　off　many　prizes。　　Among　his　schoolfellows　were　Clerk　Maxwell　and　Peter　Guthrie　Tait；　the　friends　of　his　maturer　life。

On　the　retirement　of　his　father　the　family　removed　to　Frankfort　in　1847；　partly　from　motives　of　economy　and　partly　for　the　boy's　instruction。　Here　Fleeming　and　his　father　spent　a　pleasant　time　together；　sketching　old　castles；　and　observing　the　customs　of　the　peasantry。　　Fleeming　was　precocious；　and　at　thirteen　had　finished　a　romance　of　three　hundred　lines　in　heroic　measure；　a　Scotch　novel；　and　innumerable　poetical　fragments；　none　of　which　are　now　extant。　　He　learned　German　in　Frankfort；　and　on　the　family　migrating　to　Paris　the　following　year；　he　studied　French　and　mathematics　under　a　certain　M。　Deluc。　　While　here；　Fleeming　witnessed　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution　of　1848；　and　heard　the　first　shot。　　In　a　letter　written　to　an　old　schoolfellow　while　the　sound　still　rang　in　his　ears；　and　his　hand　trembled　with　excitement；　he　gives　a　boyish　account　of　the　circumstances。　　The　family　were　living　in　the　Rue　Caumartin；　and　on　the　evening　of　February　23　he　and　his　father　were　taking　a　walk　along　the　boulevards；　which　were　illuminated　for　joy　at　the　resignation　of　M。　Guizot。　　They　passed　the　residence　of　the　Foreign　Minister；　which　was　guarded　with　troops；　and　further　on　encountered　a　band　of　rioters　marching　along　the　street　with　torches；　and　singing　the　Marseillaise。　　After　them　came　a　rabble　of　men　and　women　of　all　sorts；　rich　and　poor；　some　of　them　armed　with　sticks　and　sabres。　　They　turned　back　with　these；　the　boy　delighted　with　the　spectacle；　'I　remarked　to　papa'　（he　writes）；'I　would　not　have　missed　the　scene　for　anything。　　I　might　never　see　such　a　splendid　one　；　when　PONG　went　one　shot。　　Every　face　went　pale：　　RRRRR　went　the　whole　detachment　＇of　troops＇；　and　the　whole　crowd　of　gentlemen　and　ladies　turned　and　cut。　　Such　a　scene！…ladies；　gentlemen；　　and　vagabonds　went　sprawling　in　the　mud；　not　shot　but　tripped　up；　and　those　that　went　down　could　not　risethey　were　trampled　over。　。　。　。　I　ran　a　short　time　straight　on　and　did　not　fall；　then　turned　down　a　side　street；　ran　fifty　yards；　and　felt　tolerably　safe；　looked　for　papa；　did　not　see　him；　so　walked　on　quickly；　giving　the　news　as　I　went。'

Next　day；　while　with　his　father　in　the　Place　de　la　Concorde；　which　was　filled　with　troops；　the　gates　of　the　Tuileries　Garden　were　suddenly　flung　open；　and　out　galloped　a　troop　of　cuirassiers；　in　the　midst　of　whom　was　an　open　carriage　containing　the　king　and　queen；　who　had　abdicated。　　Then　came　the　sacking　of　the　Tuileries；　the　people　mounting　a　cannon　on　the　roof；　and　firing　blank　cartridges　to　testify　their　joy。　'It　was　a　sight　to　see　a　palace　sacked'　（wrote　the　boy）；　'and　armed　vagabonds　firing　out　of　the　windows；　and　throwing　shirts；　papers；　and　dresses　of　all　kinds　out。。。。　They　are　not　rogues；　the　French；　they　are　not　stealing；　burning；　or　doing　much　harm。'　＇MEMOIR　OF　FLEEMING　JENKIN；　by　R。　L。　Stevenson。＇

The　Revolution　obliged　the　Jenkins　to　leave　Paris；　and　they　proceeded　to　Genoa；　where　they　experienced　another；　and　Mrs。　Jenkin；　with　her　son　and　sister…in…law；　had　to　seek　the　protection　of　a　British　vessel　in　the　harbour；　leaving　their　house　stored　with　the　property　of　their　friends；　and　guarded　by　the　Union　Jack　and　Captain　Jenkin。

At　Genoa；　Fleeming　attended　the　University；　and　was　its　first　Protestant　student。　　Professor　Bancalari　was　the　professor　of　natural　philosophy；　and　lectured　on　electro…magnetism；　his　physical　laboratory　being　the　best　in　Italy。　　Jenkin　took　the　degree　of　M。A。　with　first…class　honours；　his　special　subject　having　been　electro…magnetism。　　The　questions　in　the　examinations　were　put　in　Latin；　and　answered　in　Italian。　　Fleeming　also　attended　an　Art　school　in　the　city；　and　gained　a　silver　medal　for　a　drawing　from　one　of　Raphael's　cartoons。　　His　holidays　were　spent　in　sketching；　and　his　evenings　in　learning　to　play　the　piano；　or；　when　permissible；　at　the　theatre　or　opera…house；　for　ever　since　hearing　Rachel　recite　the　Marseillaise　at　the　Theatre　Francaise；　he　had　conceived　a　taste　for　acting。

In　1850　Fleeming　spent　some　time　in　a　Genoese　locomotive　shop　under　Mr。　Philip　Taylor；　of　Marseilles；　but　on　the　death　of　his　Aunt　Anna；　who　lived　with　them；　Captain　Jenkin　took　his　family　to　England；　and　settled　in　Manchester；　where　the　lad；　in　1851；　was　apprenticed　to　mechanical　engineering　at　the　works　of　Messrs。　Fairbairn；　and　from　half…past　eight　in　the　morning　till　six　at　night　had；　as　he　says；　'to　file　and　chip　vigorously；　in　a　moleskin　suit；　and　infernally　dirty。'　At　home　he　pursued　his　studies；　and　was　for　a　time　engaged　with　Dr。　Bell　in　working　out　a　geometrical　method　of　arriving　at　the　proportions　of　Greek　architecture。　　His　stay　amidst　the　smoke　and　bustle　of　Manchester；　though　in　striking　contrast　to　his　life　in　Genoa；　was　on　the　whole　agreeable。　　He　liked　his　work；　had　the　good　spirits　of　youth；　and　made　some　pleasant　friends；　one　of　them　the　authoress；　Mrs。　Gaskell。　　Even　as　a　boy　he　was　disputatious；　and　his　mother　tells　of　his　having　overcome　a　Consul　at　Genoa　in　a　political　discussion　when　he　was　only　sixteen；　'simply　from　being　well…informed　on　the　subject；　and　honest。　　He　is　as　true　as　steel；'　she　writes；　'and　for　no　one　will　he　bend　right　or　left。。。　Do　not　fancy　him　a　Bobadil；　he　is　only　a　very　true；　candid　boy。　I　am　so　glad　he　remains　in　all　respects　but　information　a　great　child。'

On　leaving　Fairbairn's　he　was　engaged　for　a　time　on　a　survey　for　the　proposed　Lukmanier　Railway；　in　Switzerland；　and　in　1856　he　entered　the　engineering　works　of　Mr。　Penn；　at　Greenwich；　as　a　draughtsman；　and　was　occupied　on　the　plans　of　a　vessel　designed　for　the　Crimean　war。　　He　did　not　care　for　his　berth；　and　complained　of　its　late　hours；　his　rough　comrades；　with　whom　he　had　to　be　'as　little　like　himself　as　possible；'　and　his　humble　lodgings；　'across　a　dirty　green　and　through　some　half…　built　streets　of　two…storied　houses。。。。　Luckily；'　he　adds；　'I　am　fond　of　my　profession；　or　I　could　not　stand　this　life。'　There　was　probably　no　real　hardship　in　his　present　situation；　and　thousands　of　young　engineers　go　through　the　like　experience　at　the　outset　of　their　career　without　a　murmur；'　and　even　with　enjoyment；　but　Jenkin　had　been　his　mother's　pet　until　then；　with　a　girl's　delicate　training；　and　probably　felt　the　change　from　home　more　keenly　on　that　account。　　At　night　he　read　engineering　and　mathematics；　or　Carlyle　and　the　poets；　and　cheered　his　drooping　spirits　with　frequent　trips　to　London　to　see　his　mother。

Another　social　pleasure　was　his　visits　to　the　house　of　Mr。　Alfred　Austin；　a　barrister；　who　became　permanent　secretary　to　Her　Majesty's　Office　of　Works　and　Public　Buildings；　and　retired　in　1868　with　the　title　of　C。B。　　His　wife；　Eliza　Barron；　was　the　youngest　daughter　of　Mr。　E。　Barron；　a　gentleman　of　Norwich；　the　son　of　a　rich　saddler；　or　leather…　seller；　in　the　Borough；　who；　when　a　child；　had　been　patted　on　the　head；　in　his　father's　shop；　by　Dr。　Johnson；　while　canvassing　for　Mr。　Thrale。　Jenkin　had　been　introduced　to　the　Austins　by　a　letter　from　Mrs。　Gaskell；　and　was　charmed　with　the　atmosphere　of　their　choice　home；　where　intellectual　conversation　was　happily　united　with　kind　and　courteous　manners；　without　any　　pretence　or　affectation。　　'Each　of　the　Austins；'　says　Mr。　Stevenson；　in　his　memoir　of　Jenkin；　to　which　we　are　much　indebted；　'was　full　of　high　spirits；　each　practised　something　of　the　same　repression；　no　sharp　word　was　uttered　in　the　house。　　The　same　point　of　honour　ruled　them：　　a　guest　was　sacred；　and　stood　within　the　pale　from　criticism。'　In　short；　the　Austins　were　truly　hospitable　and　cultured；　not　merely　so　in　form　and　appearance。　　It　was　a　rare　privilege　and　preservative　for　a　solitary　young　man　in　Jenkin's　position　to　have　the　entry　into　such　elevating　society；　and　he　　appreciated　his　good　fortune。

Annie　Austin；　their　only　child；　had　been　highly　educated；　and　knew　Greek　among　other　things。　　Though　Jenkin　loved　and　admired　her　parents