the life of thomas telford-第30章

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calling。　　Was　he　to　be　a　shepherd　like　his　father　and　his　uncle；

or　was　he　to　be　a　farm…labourer；　or　put　apprentice　to　a　trade？

There　was　not　much　choice；　but　at　length　it　was　determined　to　bind

him　to　a　stonemason。　　In　Eskdale　that　trade　was　for　the　most　part

confined　to　the　building　of　drystone　walls；　and　there　was　very

little　more　art　employed　in　it　than　an　ordinarily　neat…handed

labourer　could　manage。　　It　was　eventually　decided　to　send　the

youthand　he　was　now　a　strong　lad　of　about　fifteento　a　mason　at

Lochmaben；　a　small　town　across　the　hills　to　the　westward；　where　a

little　more　building　and　of　a　better　sortsuch　as　of　farm…houses；

barns；　and　road…bridgeswas　carried　on　than　in　his　own　immediate

neighbourhood。　　There　he　remained　only　a　few　months；　for　his　master

using　him　badly；　the　high…spirited　youth　would　not　brook　it；　and

ran　away；　taking　refuge　with　his　mother　at　The　Crooks；　very　much　to

her　dismay。



What　was　now　to　be　done　with　Tom？　　He　was　willing　to　do　anything　or

go　anywhere　rather　than　back　to　his　Lochmaben　master。　　In　this

emergency　his　cousin　Thomas　Jackson；　the　factor　or　land…steward　at

Wester　Hall；　offered　to　do　what　he　could　to　induce　Andrew　Thomson；

a　small　mason　at　Langholm；　to　take　Telford　for　the　remainder　of　his

apprenticeship；　and　to　him　he　went　accordingly。　　The　business

carried　on　by　his　new　master　was　of　a　very　humble　sort。　　Telford；

in　his　autobiography；　states　that　most　of　the　farmers'　houses　in　the

district　then　consisted　of　〃one　storey　of　mud　walls；　or　rubble

stones　bedded　in　clay；　and　thatched　with　straw；　rushes；　or　heather；

the　floors　being　of　earth；　and　the　fire　in　the　middle；　having　a

plastered　creel　chimney　for　the　escape　of　the　smoke；　while；　instead

of　windows；　small　openings　in　the　thick　mud　walls　admitted　a　scanty

light。〃　　The　farm…buildings　were　of　a　similarly　wretched

description。



The　principal　owner　of　the　landed　property　in　the　neighbourhood　was

the　Duke　of　Buccleugh。　　Shortly　after　the　young　Duke　Henry　succeeded

to　the　title　and　estates；　in　1767；　he　introduced　considerable

improvements　in　the　farmers'　houses　and　farm…steadings；　and　the

peasants'　dwellings；　as　well　as　in　the　roads　throughout　Eskdale。

Thus　a　demand　sprang　up　for　masons'　labour；　and　Telford's　master

had　no　want　of　regular　employment　for　his　hands。　　Telford　profited

by　the　experience　which　this　increase　in　the　building　operations　of

the　neighbourhood　gave　him；　being　employed　in　raising　rough　walls

and　farm　enclosures；　as　well　as　in　erecting　bridges　across　rivers

wherever　regular　roads　for　wheel　carriages　were　substituted　for　the

horse…tracks　formerly　in　use。



During　the　greater　part　of　his　apprenticeship　Telford　lived　in　the

little　town　of　Langholm；　taking　frequent　opportunities　of　visiting

his　mother　at　The　Crooks　on　Saturday　evenings；　and　accompanying　her

to　the　parish　church　of　Westerkirk　on　Sundays。　　Langholm　was　then　a

very　poor　place；　being　no　better　in　that　respect　than　the　district

that　surrounded　it。　　It　consisted　chiefly　of　mud　hovels；　covered

with　thatchthe　principal　building　in　it　being　the　Tolbooth；

a　stone　and　lime　structure；　the　upper　part　of　which　was　used　as　a

justice…hall　and　the　lower　part　as　a　gaol。　　There　were；　however；

a　few　good　houses　in　the　little　town；　occupied　by　people　of　the

better　class；　and　in　one　of　these　lived　an　elderly　lady；　Miss　Pasley；

one　of　the　family　of　the　Pasleys　of　Craig。　　As　the　town　was　so

small　that　everybody　in　it　knew　everybody　else；　the　ruddyy…cheeked；

laughing　mason's　apprentice　soon　became　generally　known　to　all　the

townspeople；　and　amongst　others　to　Miss　Pasley。　When　she　heard　that

he　was　the　poor　orphan　boy　from　up　the　valley；　the　son　of　the

hard…working　widow　woman；　Janet　Jackson；　so　〃eident〃　and　so

industrious；　her　heart　warmed　to　the　mason's　apprentice；　and　she

sent　for　him　to　her　house。　　That　was　a　proud　day　for　Tom；　and　when

he　called　upon　her；　he　was　not　more　pleased　with　Miss　Pasley's

kindness　than　delighted　at　the　sight　of　her　little　library　of

books；　which　contained　more　volumes　than　he　had　ever　seen　before。



Having　by　this　time　acquired　a　strong　taste　for　reading；　and

exhausted　all　the　little　book　stores　of　his　friends；　the　joy　of　the

young　mason　may　be　imagined　when　Miss　Pasley　volunteered　to　lend

him　some　books　from　her　own　library。　　Of　course；　he　eagerly　and

thankfully　availed　himself　of　the　privilege；　and　thus；　while

working　as　an　apprentice　and　afterwards　as　a　journeyman；　Telford

gathered　his　first　knowledge　of　British　literature；　in　which　he　was

accustomed　to　the　close　of　his　life　to　take　such　pleasure。

He　almost　always　had　some　book　with　him；　which　he　would　snatch　a

few　minutes　to　read　in　the　intervals　of　his　work；　and　on　winter

evenings　he　occupied　his　spare　time　in　poring　over　such　volumes　as

came　in　his　way；　usually　with　no　better　light　than　the　cottage

fire。　　On　one　occasion　Miss　Pasley　lent　him　'Paradise　Lost；'　and　he

took　the　book　with　him　to　the　hill…side　to　read。　　His　delight　was

such　that　it　fairly　taxed　his　powers　of　expression　to　describe　it。

He　could　only　say；　〃I　read；　and　read；　and　glowred；　then　read；　and

read　again。〃　　He　was　also　a　great　admirer　of　Burns；　whose　writings

so　inflamed　his　mind　that　at　the　age　of　twenty…two；　when　barely　out

of　his　apprenticeship；　we　find　the　young　mason　actually　breaking

out　in　verse。*＇1＇　　By　diligently　reading　all　the　books　that　he　could

borrow　from　friends　and　neighbours；　Telford　made　considerable

progress　in　his　learning；　and；　what　with　his　scribbling　of　〃poetry〃

and　various　attempts　at　composition；　he　had　become　so　good　and

legible　a　writer　that　he　was　often　called　upon　by　his　less…educated

acquaintances　to　pen　letters　for　them　to　their　distant　friends。

He　was　always　willing　to　help　them　in　this　way；　and；　the　other　working

people　of　the　town　making　use　of　his　services　in　the　same　manner；

all　the　little　domestic　and　family　histories　of　the　place　soon

became　familiar　to　him。　　One　evening　a　Langholm　man　asked　Tom　to

write　a　letter　for　him　to　his　son　in　England；　and　when　the　young

scribe　read　over　what　had　been　written　to　the　old　man's　dictation；

the　latter；　at　the　end　of　almost　every　sentence；　exclaimed；

〃Capital！　capital！〃　and　at　the　close　he　said；　〃Well！　I　declare；

Tom！　Werricht　himsel'　couldna　ha'　written　a　better！〃Wright　being

a　well…known　lawyer　or　〃writer〃　in　Langholm。



His　apprenticeship　over；　Telford　went　on　working　as　a　journeyman　at

Langholm；　his　wages　at　the　time　being　only　eighteen　pence　a　day。

What　was　called　the　New　Town　was　then　in　course　of　erection；

and　there　are　houses　still　pointed　out　in　it；　the　walls　of　which

Telford　helped　to　put　together。　　In　the　town　are　three　arched

door…heads　of　a　more　ornamental　character　than　the　rest；　of　Telford's

hewing；　for　he　was　already　beginning　to　set　up　his　pretensions　as　a

craftsman；　and　took　pride　in　pointing　to　the　superior　handiwork

which　proceeded　from　his　chisel。



About　the　same　time；　the　bridge　connecting　the　Old　with　the　New

Town　was　built　across　the　Esk　at　Langholm；　and　upon　that　structure

he　was　also　employed。　　Many　of　the　stones　in　it　were　hewn　by　his

hand；　and　on　several　of　the　blocks　forming　the　land…breast　his

tool…mark　is　still　to　be　seen。



Not　long　after　the　bridge　was　finished；　an　unusually　high　flood　or

spate　swept　down　the　valley。　　The　Esk　was　〃roaring　red　frae　bank　to

brae；〃　and　it　was　generally　feared　that　the　new　brig　would　be

carried　away。　　Robin　Hotson；　the　master　mason；　was　from　home　at　the

time；　and　his　wife；　Tibby；　knowing　that　he　was　bound　by　his

contract　to　maintain　the　fabric　for　a　period　of　seven　years；　was　in

a　state　of　great　alarm。　　She　ran　from　one　person　to　another；

wringing　her　hands　and　sobbing；　〃Oh！　we'll　be　ruinedwe'll　a'　be

ruined！〃　In　her　distress　she　thought　of　Telford；　in　whom　she　had

great　confidence；　and　called　out；　〃Oh！　where's　Tammy　Telfer

where's　Tammy？〃　　He　was　immediately　sent　for。　　It　was　evening；　and

he　was　soon　found　at　the　h