records of a family of engineers-第5节

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tition　of　a　shibboleth　fulfils　the　law。　　Common　decency　is　at　times　forgot　in　the　same　page　with　the　most　sanctified　advice　and　aspiration。　　Thus　I　am　introduced　to　a　correspondent　who　appears　to　have　been　at　the　time　the　housekeeper　at　Invermay；　and　who　writes　to　condole　with　my　grandmother　in　a　season　of　distress。　　For　nearly　half　a　sheet　she　keeps　to　the　point　with　an　excellent　discretion　in　language　then　suddenly　breaks　out：

‘It　was　fully　my　intention　to　have　left　this　at　Martinmass；　but　the　Lord　fixes　the　bounds　of　our　habitation。　I　have　had　more　need　of　patience　in　my　situation　here　than　in　any　other；　partly　from　the　very　violent；　unsteady；　deceitful　temper　of　the　Mistress　of　the　Family；　and　also　from　the　state　of　the　house。　　It　was　in　a　train　of　repair　when　I　came　here　two　years　ago；　and　is　still　in　Confusion。　　There　is　above　six　Thousand　Pounds'　worth　of　Furniture　come　from　London　to　be　put　up　when　the　rooms　are　completely　finished；　and　then；　woe　be　to　the　Person　who　is　Housekeeper　at　Invermay！'

And　by　the　tail　of　the　document；　which　is　torn；　I　see　she　goes　on　to　ask　the　bereaved　family　to　seek　her　a　new　place。　It　is　extraordinary　that　people　should　have　been　so　deceived　in　so　careless　an　impostor；　that　a　few　sprinkled　‘God　willings'　should　have　blinded　them　to　the　essence　of　this　venomous　letter；　and　that　they　should　have　been　at　the　pains　to　bind　it　in　with　others　（many　of　them　highly　touching）　in　their　memorial　of　harrowing　days。　　But　the　good　ladies　were　without　guile　and　without　suspicion；　they　were　victims　marked　for　the　axe；　and　the　religious　impostors　snuffed　up　the　wind　as　they　drew　near。

I　have　referred　above　to　my　grandmother；　it　was　no　slip　of　the　pen：　for　by　an　extraordinary　arrangement；　in　which　it　is　hard　not　to　suspect　the　managing　hand　of　a　mother；　Jean　Smith　became　the　wife　of　Robert　Stevenson。　　Mrs。　Smith　had　failed　in　her　design　to　make　her　son　a　minister；　and　she　saw　him　daily　more　immersed　in　business　and　worldly　ambition。　　One　thing　remained　that　she　might　do：　she　might　secure　for　him　a　godly　wife；　that　great　means　of　sanctification；　and　she　had　two　under　her　hand；　trained　by　herself；　her　dear　friends　and　daughters　both　in　law　and　love　…　Jean　and　Janet。　　Jean's　complexion　was　extremely　pale；　Janet's　was　florid；　my　grandmother's　nose　was　straight；　my　great…aunt's　aquiline；　but　by　the　sound　of　the　voice；　not　even　a　son　was　able　to　distinguish　one　from　other。　　The　marriage　of　a　man　of　twenty…　seven　and　a　girl　of　twenty　who　have　lived　for　twelve　years　as　brother　and　sister；　is　difficult　to　conceive。　　It　took　place；　however；　and　thus　in　1799　the　family　was　still　further　cemented　by　the　union　of　a　representative　of　the　male　or　worldly　element　with　one　of　the　female　and　devout。

This　essential　difference　remained　unbridged；　yet　never　diminished　the　strength　of　their　relation。　　My　grandfather　pursued　his　design　of　advancing　in　the　world　with　some　measure　of　success；　rose　to　distinction　in　his　calling；　grew　to　be　the　familiar　of　members　of　Parliament；　judges　of　the　Court　of　Session；　and　‘landed　gentlemen'；　learned　a　ready　address；　had　a　flow　of　interesting　conversation；　and　when　he　was　referred　to　as　‘a　highly　respectable　BOURGEOIS；'　resented　the　description。　　My　grandmother　remained　to　the　end　devout　and　unambitious；　occupied　with　her　Bible；　her　children；　and　her　house；　easily　shocked；　and　associating　largely　with　a　clique　of　godly　parasites。　　I　do　not　know　if　she　called　in　the　midwife　already　referred　to；　but　the　principle　on　which　that　lady　was　recommended；　she　accepted　fully。　　The　cook　was　a　godly　woman；　the　butcher　a　Christian　man；　and　the　table　suffered。　　The　scene　has　been　often　described　to　me　of　my　grandfather　sawing　with　darkened　countenance　at　some　indissoluble　joint　…　‘Preserve　me；　my　dear；　what　kind　of　a　reedy；　stringy　beast　is　this？'　…　of　the　joint　removed；　the　pudding　substituted　and　uncovered；　and　of　my　grandmother's　anxious　glance　and　hasty；　deprecatory　comment；　‘Just　mismanaged！'　　Yet　with　the　invincible　obstinacy　of　soft　natures；　she　would　adhere　to　the　godly　woman　and　the　Christian　man；　or　find　others　of　the　same　kidney　to　replace　them。　　One　of　her　confidants　had　once　a　narrow　escape；　an　unwieldy　old　woman；　she　had　fallen　from　an　outside　stair　in　a　close　of　the　Old　Town；　and　my　grandmother　rejoiced　to　communicate　the　providential　circumstance　that　a　baker　had　been　passing　underneath　with　his　bread　upon　his　head。　　‘I　would　like　to　know　what　kind　of　providence　the　baker　thought　it！'　cried　my　grandfather。

But　the　sally　must　have　been　unique。　　In　all　else　that　I　have　heard　or　read　of　him；　so　far　from　criticising；　he　was　doing　his　utmost　to　honour　and　even　to　emulate　his　wife's　pronounced　opinions。　　In　the　only　letter　which　has　come　to　my　hand　of　Thomas　Smith's；　I　find　him　informing　his　wife　that　he　was　‘in　time　for　afternoon　church'；　similar　assurances　or　cognate　excuses　abound　in　the　correspondence　of　Robert　Stevenson；　and　it　is　comical　and　pretty　to　see　the　two　generations　paying　the　same　court　to　a　female　piety　more　highly　strung：　Thomas　Smith　to　the　mother　of　Robert　Stevenson　…　Robert　Stevenson　to　the　daughter　of　Thomas　Smith。　　And　if　for　once　my　grandfather　suffered　himself　to　be　hurried；　by　his　sense　of　humour　and　justice；　into　that　remark　about　the　case　of　Providence　and　the　Baker；　I　should　be　sorry　for　any　of　his　children　who　should　have　stumbled　into　the　same　attitude　of　criticism。　　In　the　apocalyptic　style　of　the　housekeeper　of　Invermay；　woe　be　to　that　person！　　But　there　was　no　fear；　husband　and　sons　all　entertained　for　the　pious；　tender　soul　the　same　chivalrous　and　moved　affection。　　I　have　spoken　with　one　who　remembered　her；　and　who　had　been　the　intimate　and　equal　of　her　sons；　and　I　found　this　witness　had　been　struck；　as　I　had　been；　with　a　sense　of　disproportion　between　the　warmth　of　the　adoration　felt　and　the　nature　of　the　woman；　whether　as　described　or　observed。　　She　diligently　read　and　marked　her　Bible；　she　was　a　tender　nurse；　she　had　a　sense　of　humour　under　strong　control；　she　talked　and　found　some　amusement　at　her　（or　rather　at　her　husband's）　dinner…parties。　It　is　conceivable　that　even　my　grandmother　was　amenable　to　the　seductions　of　dress；　at　least；　I　find　her　husband　inquiring　anxiously　about　‘the　gowns　from　Glasgow；'　and　very　careful　to　describe　the　toilet　of　the　Princess　Charlotte；　whom　he　had　seen　in　church　‘in　a　Pelisse　and　Bonnet　of　the　same　colour　of　cloth　as　the　Boys'　Dress　jackets；　trimmed　with　blue　satin　ribbons；　the　hat　or　Bonnet；　Mr。　Spittal　said；　was　a　Parisian　slouch；　and　had　a　plume　of　three　white　feathers。'　　But　all　this　leaves　a　blank　impression；　and　it　is　rather　by　reading　backward　in　these　old　musty　letters；　which　have　moved　me　now　to　laughter　and　now　to　impatience；　that　I　glean　occasional　glimpses　of　how　she　seemed　to　her　contemporaries；　and　trace　（at　work　in　her　queer　world　of　godly　and　grateful　parasites）　a　mobile　and　responsive　nature。　　Fashion　moulds　us；　and　particularly　women；　deeper　than　we　sometimes　think；　but　a　little　while　ago；　and；　in　some　circles；　women　stood　or　fell　by　the　degree　of　their　appreciation　of　old　pictures；　in　the　early　years　of　the　century　（and　surely　with　more　reason）　a　character　like　that　of　my　grandmother　warmed；　charmed；　and　subdued；　like　a　strain　of　music；　the　hearts　of　the　men　of　her　own　household。　And　there　is　little　doubt　that　Mrs。　Smith；　as　she　looked　on　at　the　domestic　life　of　her　son　and　her　stepdaughter；　and　numbered　the　heads　in　their　increasing　nursery；　must　have　breathed　fervent　thanks　to　her　Creator。

Yet　this　was　to　be　a　family　unusually　tried；　it　was　not　for　nothing　that　one　of　the　godly　women　saluted　Miss　Janet　Smith　as　‘a　veteran　in　affliction'；　and　they　were　all　before　middle　life　experienced　in　that　form　of　service。　　By　the　1st　of　January　1808；　besides　a　pair　of　still…born　twins；　children　had　been　born　and　still　survived　to　the　young　couple。　　By　the　11th　two　were　gone；　by　the　28th　a　third　had　followed；　and　the　two　others　were　still　in　danger。　　In　the　letters　of　a　former　nurserymaid　…　I　give　her　name；　Jean　Mitchell；　HONORIS　CAUSA　…　we　are　enabled　to　feel；　even　at　this　distance　of　time；　some　of　the　bitterness　of　that　month　of　bereavement。

‘I　have　this　day　received；'　she　writes　to　Miss　Janet；　‘the　melancholy　news　of　my　dear　babys'　deaths。　　My　heart　is　like　to　break　for　my　dear　Mrs。　Stevenson。　　O　may　she　be　supported　on　this　trying　occasion！　　I　hope　her　other　three　babys　will　be　spared　to　her。　　O；　Miss　Smith；　did　I　think　when　I　parted　from　my　sweet　babys　that　I　never　was　to　see　them　more？'　　‘I　received；'　she　begins　her　next；　‘the　mournful　news　of　my　dear　Jessie's　death。　　I　also　received　the　hair　of　my　three　sweet　babys；　which　I　will　preserve　as　dear　to　their　memorys　and　as　a　token　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Stevenson's　friendship　and　esteem。　　At　my　leisure　hours；　when　the　children　are　in　bed；　they　occupy　all　my　thoughts；　I　dream　of　them。　　About　two　weeks　ago　I　dreamed　that　my　sweet　little　Jessie　came　running　to　me　in　her　usual　way；　and　I　took　her　in　my　arms。　　O　my　dear　babys；　were　mortal　eyes　permitted　to　see　them　in　heaven；　we　would　not　repine　nor　grieve　for　their　loss。'

By　the　29th　of　February；　the　Reverend　John　Campbell；　a　man　of　obvious　sense　and　human　value；　but　hateful　to　the　present　biographer；　because　he