heroes of the telegraph-第28章

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el'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；　he　did　not　at　first　care　for　Annie；　who；　on　her　part；　thought　him　vain；　and　by　no　means　good…looking。　　Mr。　Stevenson　hints　that　she　vanquished　his　stubborn　heart　by　correcting　a　'false　quantity'　of　his　one　day；　for　he　was　the　man　to　reflect　over　a　correction；　and　'admire　the　castigator。'　Be　this　as　it　may；　Jenkin　by　degrees　fell　deeply　in　love　with　her。

He　was　poor　and　nameless；　and　this　made　him　diffident；　but　the　liking　of　her　parents　for　him　gave　him　hope。　　Moreover；　he　had　entered　the　service　of　Messrs。　Liddell　and　Gordon；　who　were　engaged　in　the　new　work　of　submarine　telegraphy；　which　satisfied　his　aspirations；　and　promised　him　a　successful　career。　　With　this　new…born　confidence　in　his　future；　he　solicited　the　Austins　for　leave　to　court　their　daughter；　and　it　was　not　withheld。　　Mrs。　Austin　consented　freely；　and　Mr。　Austin　only　reserved　the　right　to　inquire　into　his　character。　　Neither　of　them　mentioned　his　income　or　prospects；　and　Jenkin；　overcome　by　their　disinterestedness；　exclaimed　in　one　of　his　letters；　'Are　these　people　the　same　as　other　people？'　　Thus　permitted；　he　addressed　himself　to　Annie；　and　was　nearly　rejected　for　his　pains。　　Miss　Austin　seems　to　have　resented　his　courtship　of　her　parents　first；　but　the　mother's　favour；　and　his　own　spirited　behaviour；　saved　him；　and　won　her　consent。

Then　followed　one　of　the　happiest　epochs　in　Jenkin's　life。　　After　leaving　Penn's　he　worked　at　railway　engineering　for　a　time　under　Messrs。　Liddell　and　Gordon；　and；　in　1857；　became　engineer　to　Messrs。　R。　S。　Newall　&　Co。；　of　Gateshead；　who　shared　the　work　of　making　the　first　Atlantic　cable　with　Messrs。　Glass；　Elliott　&　Co。；　of　Greenwich。　　Jenkin　was　busy　designing　and　fitting　up　machinery　for　cableships；　and　making　electrical　experiments。　　'I　am　half　crazy　with　work；'　he　wrote　to　his　betrothed；　'I　like　it　though：　　it's　like　a　good　ball；　the　excitement　carries　you　through。'　　Again　he　wrote；　'My　　profession　gives　me　all　the　excitement　and　interest　I　ever　hope　for。'。。。　'I　am　at　the　works　till　ten；　and　sometimes　till　eleven。　　But　I　have　a　nice　office　to　sit　in；　with　a　fire　to　myself；　and　bright　brass　scientific　instruments　all　round　me；　and　books　to　read；　and　experiments　to　make；　and　enjoy　myself　amazingly。　　I　find　the　study　of　electricity　so　entertaining　that　I　am　apt　to　neglect　my　other　work。'。。。　'What　shall　I　compare　them　to；'　he　writes　of　some　electrical　experiments；　'a　new　song？　or　a　Greek　play？'　In　the　spring　of　1855　he　was　fitting　out　the　s。s。　Elba；　at　Birkenhead；　for　his　first　telegraph　cruise。　　It　appears　that　in　1855　Mr。　Henry　Brett　attempted　to　lay　a　cable　across　the　Mediterranean　between　Cape　Spartivento；　in　the　south　of　Sardinia；　and　a　point　near　Bona；　on　the　coast　of　Algeria。　　It　was　a　gutta…percha　cable　of　six　wires　or　conductors；　and　manufactured　by　Messrs。　Glass　&　Elliott；　of　Greenwicha　firm　which　afterwards　combined　with　the　Gutta…Percha　Company；　and　became　the　existing　Telegraph　Construction　and　Maintenance　Company。　　Mr。　Brett　laid　the　cable　from　the　Result；　a　sailing　ship　in　tow；　instead　of　a　more　manageable　steamer；　and；　meeting　with　600　fathoms　of　water　when　twenty…　five　miles　from　land；　the　cable　ran　out　so　fast　that　a　tangled　skein　came　up　out　of　the　hold；　and　the　line　had　to　be　severed。　　Having　only　150　miles　on　board　to　span　the　whole　distance　of　140　miles；　he　grappled　the　lost　cable　near　the　shore；　raised　it；　and　'under…run'　or　passed　it　over　the　ship；　for　some　twenty　miles；　then　cut　it；　leaving　the　seaward　end　on　the　bottom。　　He　then　spliced　the　ship's　cable　to　the　shoreward　end　and　resumed　his　paying…out；　but　after　seventy　miles　in　all　were　laid；　another　rapid　rush　of　cable　took　place；　and　Mr。　Brett　was　obliged　to　cut　and　abandon　the　line。

Another　attempt　was　made　the　following　year；　but　with　no　better　success。　Mr。　Brett　then　tried　to　lay　a　three…wire　cable　from　the　steamer　Dutchman；　but　owing　to　the　deep　waterin　some　places　1500　fathoms　its　egress　was　so　rapid；　that　when　he　came　to　a　few　miles　from　Galita；　his　destination　on　the　Algerian　coast；　he　had　not　enough　cable　to　reach　the　land。　　He