the life of thomas telford-第78章

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amply　sufficient　for　his　wants；　and　more　than　enough　for　his

independence。　　It　enabled　him　also　to　continue　those　secret　acts　of

benevolence　which　constituted　perhaps　the　most　genuine　pleasure　of

his　life。　　It　is　one　of　the　most　delightful　traits　in　this　excellent

man's　career　to　find　him　so　constantly　occupied　in　works　of

spontaneous　charity；　in　quarters　so　remote　and　unknown　that　it　is

impossible　the　slightest　feeling　of　ostentation　could　have　sullied

the　purity　of　the　acts。　　Among　the　large　mass　of　Telford's　private

letters　which　have　been　submitted　to　us；　we　find　frequent　reference

to　sums　of　money　transmitted　for　the　support　of　poor　people　in　his

native　valley。　　At　new　year's　time　he　regularly　sent　remittances　of

from　30L。　to　50L。；　to　be　distributed　by　the　kind　Miss　Malcolm　of

Burnfoot；　and；　after　her　death；　by　Mr。　Little；　the　postmaster　at

Langholm；　and　the　contributions　thus　so　kindly　made；　did　much　to

fend　off　the　winter's　cold；　and　surround　with　many　small　comforts

those　who　most　needed　help；　but　were　perhaps　too　modest　to　ask

it。*＇12＇



Many　of　those　in　the　valley　of　the　Esk　had　known　of　Telford　in　his

younger　years　as　a　poor　barefooted　boy；　though　now　become　a　man　of

distinction；　he　had　too　much　good　sense　to　be　ashamed　of　his　humble

origin；　perhaps　he　even　felt　proud　that；　by　dint　of　his　own

valorous　and　persevering　efforts；　he　had　been　able　to　rise　so　much

above　it。　　　Throughout　his　long　life；　his　heart　always　warmed　at　the

thought　of　Eskdale。　　He　rejoiced　at　the　honourable　rise　of　Eskdale

men　as　reflecting　credit　upon　his　〃beloved　valley。〃　　Thus；　writing

to　his　Langholm　correspondent　with　reference　to　the　honours

conferred　on　the　different　members　of　the　family　of　Malcolm；　he

said：　〃The　distinctions　so　deservedly　bestowed　upon　the　Burnfoot

family；　establish　a　splendid　era　in　Eskdale；　and　almost　tempt　your

correspondent　to　sport　his　Swedish　honours；　which　that　grateful

country　has　repeatedly；　in　spite　of　refusal；　transmitted。〃



It　might　be　said　that　there　was　narrowness　and　provincialism　in

this；　But　when　young　men　are　thrown　into　the　world；　with　all　its

temptations　and　snares；　it　is　well　that　the　recollections　of　home

and　kindred　should　survive　to　hold　them　in　the　path　of　rectitude；

and　cheer　them　in　their　onward　and　upward　course　in　life。　　And　there

is　no　doubt　that　Telford　was　borne　up　on　many　occasions　by　the

thought　of　what　the　folks　in　the　valley　would　say　about　him　and　his

progress　in　life；　when　they　met　together　at　market；　or　at　the

Westerkirk　porch　on　Sabbath　mornings。　　In　this　light；　provincialism

or　local　patriotism　is　a　prolific　source　of　good；　and　may　be

regarded　as　among　the　most　valuable　and　beautiful　emanations　of　the

parish　life　of　our　country。　　Although　Telford　was　honoured　with　the

titles　and　orders　of　merit　conferred　upon　him　by　foreign　monarchs；

what　he　esteemed　beyond　them　all　was　the　respect　and　gratitude　of

his　own　countrymen；　and；　not　least；　the　honour　which　his　really

noble　and　beneficent　career　was　calculated　to　reflect　upon　〃the

folks　of　the　nook；〃　the　remote　inhabitants　of　his　native　Eskdale。



When　the　engineer　proceeded　to　dispose　of　his　savings　by　will；

which　he　did　a　few　months　before　his　death；　the　distribution　was　a

comparatively　easy　matter。　　The　total　amount　of　his　bequeathments

was　16；600L。*＇13＇　　About　one…fourth　of　the　whole　he　set　apart　for

educational　purposes；　2000L。　to　the　Civil　Engineers'　Institute；

and　1000L。　each　to　the　ministers　of　Langholm　and　Westerkirk；　in

trust　for　the　parish　libraries。　　The　rest　was　bequeathed；　in　sums

of　from　200L。　to　500L。；　to　different　persons　who　had　acted　as

clerks；　assistants；　and　surveyors；　in　his　various　public　works；　and

to　his　intimate　personal　friends。　　Amongst　these　latter　were　Colonel

Pasley；　the　nephew　of　his　early　benefactor；　Mr。　Rickman；　Mr。　Milne；

and　Mr。　Hope；　his　three　executors；　and　Robert　Southey　and　Thomas

Campbell；　the　poets。　　To　both　of　these　last　the　gift　was　most

welcome。　　Southey　said　of　his：　〃Mr。　Telford　has　most　kindly　and

unexpectedly　left　me　500L。；　with　a　share　of　his　residuary　property；

which　I　am　told　will　make　it　amount　in　all　to　850L。　This　is　truly　a

godsend；　and　I　am　most　grateful　for　it。　　It　gives　me　the　comfortable

knowledge　that；　if　it　should　please　God　soon　to　take　me　from　this

world；　my　family　would　have　resources　fully　sufficient　for　their

support　till　such　time　as　their　affairs　could　be　put　in　order；　and

the　proceeds　of　my　books；　remains；　&c。；　be　rendered　available。

I　have　never　been　anxious　overmuch；　nor　ever　taken　more　thought　for

the　morrow　than　it　is　the　duty　of　every　one　to　take　who　has　to　earn

his　livelihood；　but　to　be　thus　provided　for　at　this　time　I　feel　to

be　an　especial　blessing。'〃*＇14＇　　Among　the　most　valuable　results　of

Telford's　bequests　in　his　own　district；　was　the　establishment　of

the　popular　libraries　at　Langholm　and　Westerkirk；　each　of　which　now

contains　about　4000　volumes。　　That　at　Westerkirk　had　been

originally　instituted　in　the　year　1792；　by　the　miners　employed　to

work　an　antimony　mine　（since　abandoned）　on　the　farm　of　Glendinning；

within　sight　of　the　place　where　Telford　was　born。　　On　the

dissolution　of　the　mining　company；　in　1800；　the　little　collection

of　books　was　removed　to　Kirkton　Hill；　but　on　receipt　of　Telford's

bequest；　a　special　building　was　erected　for　their　reception　at　Old

Bentpath　near　the　village　of　Westerkirk。　　The　annual　income　derived

from　the　Telford　fund　enabled　additions　of　new　volumes　to　be　made

to　it　from　time　to　time；　and　its　uses　as　a　public　institution　were

thus　greatly　increased。　　The　books　are　exchanged　once　a　month；　on

the　day　of　the　full　moon；　on　which　occasion　readers　of　all　ages　and

conditions；farmers；　shepherds；　ploughmen；　labourers；　and　their

children；resort　to　it　from　far　and　near；　taking　away　with　them　as

many　volumes　as　they　desire　for　the　month's　readings。



Thus　there　is　scarcely　a　cottage　in　the　valley　in　which　good　books

are　not　to　be　found　under　perusal；　and　we　are　told　that　it　is　a

common　thing　for　the　Eskdale　shepherd　to　take　a　book　in　his　plaid

to　the　hill…sidea　volume　of　Shakespeare；　Prescott；　or　Macaulay

and　read　it　there；　under　the　blue　sky；　with　his　sheep　and　the　green

hills　before　him。　　And　thus；　so　long　as　the　bequest　lasts；　the　good；

great　engineer　will　not　cease　to　be　remembered　with　gratitude　in

his　beloved　Eskdale。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　XV。



*＇1＇　In　his　inaugural　address　to　the　members　on　taking　the　chair；

the　President　pointed　out　that　the　principles　of　the　Institution

rested　on　the　practical　efforts　and　unceasing　perseverance　of　the

members　themselves。　　〃In　foreign　countries；〃　he　said；　〃similar

establishments　are　instituted　by　government；　and　their　members　and

proceedings　are　under　their　control；　but　here；　a　different　course

being　adopted；　it　becomes　incumbent　on　each　individual　member　to

feel　that　the　very　existence　and　prosperity　of　the　Institution

depend；　in　no　small　degree；　on　his　personal　conduct　and　exertions；

and　my　merely　mentioning　the　circumstance　will；　I　am　convinced；　be

sufficient　to　command　the　best　efforts　of　the　present　and　future

members。〃



*＇2＇　We　are　informed　by　Joseph　Mitchell；　Esq。；　C。E。；　of　the　origin

of　this　practice。　　Mr。　Mitchell　was　a　pupil　of　Mr。　Telford's；　living

with　him　in　his　house　at　24；　Abingdon　Street。　　It　was　the　engineer's

custom　to　have　a　dinner　party　every　Tuesday；　after　which　his

engineering　friends　were　invited　to　accompany　him　to　the　Institution；

the　meetings　of　which　were　then　held　on　Tuesday　evenings　in　a　house

in　Buckingham　Street；　Strand。　　The　meetings　did　not　usually　consist

of　more　than　from　twenty　to　thirty　persons。　　Mr。　Mitchell　took

notes　of　the　conversations　which　followed　the　reading　of　the　papers。

Mr。　Telford　afterwards　found　his　pupil　extending　the　notes；

on　which　he　asked　permission　to　read　them；　and　was　so　much　pleased

that　he　took　them　to　the　next　meeting　and　read　them　to　the　members。

Mr。　Mitchell　was