memoir of fleeming jenkin-第34章

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never　denied　nor　thought　to　set　a　limit　to　man's　weakness。　　At　my　

third　gentleman；　he　struck　his　colours。　　'Yes；'　said　he；　'I'm　

afraid　that　is　a　bad　man。'　　And　then　looking　at　me　shrewdly：　　'I　

wonder　if　it　isn't　a　very　unfortunate　thing　for　you　to　have　met　

him。'　　I　showed　him　radiantly　how　it　was　the　world　we　must　know；　

the　world　as　it　was；　not　a　world　expurgated　and　prettified　with　

optimistic　rainbows。　　'Yes；　yes；'　said　he；　'but　this　badness　is　

such　an　easy；　lazy　explanation。　　Won't　you　be　tempted　to　use　it；　

instead　of　trying　to　understand　people？'



In　the　year　1878；　he　took　a　passionate　fancy　for　the　phonograph：　　

it　was　a　toy　after　his　heart；　a　toy　that　touched　the　skirts　of　

life；　art；　and　science；　a　toy　prolific　of　problems　and　theories。　　

Something　fell　to　be　done　for　a　University　Cricket　Ground　Bazaar。　　

'And　the　thought　struck　him；'　Mr。　Ewing　writes　to　me；　'to　exhibit　

Edison's　phonograph；　then　the　very　newest　scientific　marvel。　　The　

instrument　itself　was　not　to　be　purchased　…　I　think　no　specimen　had　

then　crossed　the　Atlantic　…　but　a　copy　of　the　TIMES　with　an　account　

of　it　was　at　hand；　and　by　the　help　of　this　we　made　a　phonograph　

which　to　our　great　joy　talked；　and　talked；　too；　with　the　purest　

American　accent。　　It　was　so　good　that　a　second　instrument　was　got　

ready　forthwith。　　Both　were　shown　at　the　Bazaar：　　one　by　Mrs。　

Jenkin　to　people　willing　to　pay　half　a　crown　for　a　private　view　and　

the　privilege　of　hearing　their　own　voices；　while　Jenkin；　perfervid　

as　usual；　gave　half…hourly　lectures　on　the　other　in　an　adjoining　

room　…　I；　as　his　lieutenant；　taking　turns。　　The　thing　was　in　its　

way　a　little　triumph。　　A　few　of　the　visitors　were　deaf；　and　hugged　

the　belief　that　they　were　the　victims　of　a　new　kind　of　fancy…fair　

swindle。　　Of　the　others；　many　who　came　to　scoff　remained　to　take　

raffle　tickets；　and　one　of　the　phonographs　was　finally　disposed　of　

in　this　way；　falling；　by　a　happy　freak　of　the　ballot…box；　into　the　

hands　of　Sir　William　Thomson。'　　The　other　remained　in　Fleeming's　

hands；　and　was　a　source　of　infinite　occupation。　　Once　it　was　sent　

to　London；　'to　bring　back　on　the　tinfoil　the　tones　of　a　lady　

distinguished　for　clear　vocalisations；　at　another　time　Sir　Robert　

Christison　was　brought　in　to　contribute　his　powerful　bass'；　and　

there　scarcely　came　a　visitor　about　the　house；　but　he　was　made　the　

subject　of　experiment。　　The　visitors；　I　am　afraid；　took　their　parts　

lightly：　　Mr。　Hole　and　I；　with　unscientific　laughter；　commemorating　

various　shades　of　Scotch　accent；　or　proposing　to　'teach　the　poor　

dumb　animal　to　swear。'　　But　Fleeming　and　Mr。　Ewing；　when　we　

butterflies　were　gone；　were　laboriously　ardent。　　Many　thoughts　that　

occupied　the　later　years　of　my　friend　were　caught　from　the　small　

utterance　of　that　toy。　　Thence　came　his　inquiries　into　the　roots　of　

articulate　language　and　the　foundations　of　literary　art；　his　papers　

on　vowel　sounds；　his　papers　in　the　SATURDAY　REVIEW　upon　the　laws　of　

verse；　and　many　a　strange　approximation；　many　a　just　note；　thrown　

out　in　talk　and　now　forgotten。　　I　pass　over　dozens　of　his　

interests；　and　dwell　on　this　trifling　matter　of　the　phonograph；　

because　it　seems　to　me　that　it　depicts　the　man。　　So；　for　Fleeming；　

one　thing　joined　into　another；　the　greater　with　the　less。　　He　cared　

not　where　it　was　he　scratched　the　surface　of　the　ultimate　mystery　…　

in　the　child's　toy；　in　the　great　tragedy；　in　the　laws　of　the　

tempest；　or　in　the　properties　of　energy　or　mass　…　certain　that　

whatever　he　touched；　it　was　a　part　of　life　…　and　however　he　touched　

it；　there　would　flow　for　his　happy　constitution　interest　and　

delight。　　'All　fables　have　their　morals；'　says　Thoreau；　'but　the　

innocent　enjoy　the　story。'　　There　is　a　truth　represented　for　the　

imagination　in　these　lines　of　a　noble　poem；　where　we　are　told；　that　

in　our　highest　hours　of　visionary　clearness；　we　can　but





'see　the　children　sport　upon　the　shore

And　hear　the　mighty　waters　rolling　evermore。'





To　this　clearness　Fleeming　had　attained；　and　although　he　heard　the　

voice　of　the　eternal　seas　and　weighed　its　message；　he　was　yet　able；　

until　the　end　of　his　life；　to　sport　upon　these　shores　of　death　and　

mystery　with　the　gaiety　and　innocence　of　children。





IV。





It　was　as　a　student　that　I　first　knew　Fleeming；　as　one　of　that　

modest　number　of　young　men　who　sat　under　his　ministrations　in　a　

soul…chilling　class…room　at　the　top　of　the　University　buildings。　　

His　presence　was　against　him　as　a　professor：　　no　one；　least　of　all　

students；　would　have　been　moved　to　respect　him　at　first　sight：　　

rather　short　in　stature；　markedly　plain；　boyishly　young　in　manner；　

cocking　his　head　like　a　terrier　with　every　mark　of　the　most　

engaging　vivacity　and　readiness　to　be　pleased；　full　of　words；　full　

of　paradox；　a　stranger　could　scarcely　fail　to　look　at　him　twice；　a　

man　thrown　with　him　in　a　train　could　scarcely　fail　to　be　engaged　by　

him　in　talk；　but　a　student　would　never　regard　him　as　academical。　　

Yet　he　had　that　fibre　in　him　that　order　always　existed　in　his　

class…room。　　I　do　not　remember　that　he　ever　addressed　me　in　

language；　at　the　least　sign　of　unrest；　his　eye　would　fall　on　me　and　

I　was　quelled。　　Such　a　feat　is　comparatively　easy　in　a　small　class；　

but　I　have　misbehaved　in　smaller　classes　and　under　eyes　more　

Olympian　than　Fleeming　Jenkin's。　　He　was　simply　a　man　from　whose　

reproof　one　shrank；　in　manner　the　least　buckrammed　of　mankind；　he　

had；　in　serious　moments；　an　extreme　dignity　of　goodness。　　So　it　was　

that　he　obtained　a　power　over　the　most　insubordinate　of　students；　

but　a　power　of　which　I　was　myself　unconscious。　　I　was　inclined　to　

regard　any　professor　as　a　joke；　and　Fleeming　as　a　particularly　good　

joke；　perhaps　the　broadest　in　the　vast　pleasantry　of　my　curriculum。　　

I　was　not　able　to　follow　his　lectures；　I　somehow　dared　not　

misconduct　myself；　as　was　my　customary　solace；　and　I　refrained　from　

attending。　　This　brought　me　at　the　end　of　the　session　into　a　

relation　with　my　contemned　professor　that　completely　opened　my　

eyes。　　During　the　year；　bad　student　as　I　was；　he　had　shown　a　

certain　leaning　to　my　society；　I　had　been　to　his　house；　he　had　

asked　me　to　take　a　humble　part　in　his　theatricals；　I　was　a　master　

in　the　art　of　extracting　a　certificate　even　at　the　cannon's　mouth；　

and　I　was　under　no　apprehension。　　But　when　I　approached　Fleeming；　I　

found　myself　in　another　world；　he　would　have　naught　of　me。　　'It　is　

quite　useless　for　YOU　to　come　to　me；　Mr。　Stevenson。　　There　may　be　

doubtful　cases；　there　is　no　doubt　about　yours。　　You　have　simply　NOT　

attended　my　class。'　　The　document　was　necessary　to　me　for　family　

considerations；　and　presently　I　stooped　to　such　pleadings　and　rose　

to　such　adjurations；　as　made　my　ears　burn　to　remember。　　He　was　

quite　unmoved；　he　had　no　pity　for　me。　…　'You　are　no　fool；'　said　he；　

'and　you　chose　your　course。'　　I　showed　him　that　he　had　misconceived　

his　duty；　that　certificates　were　things　of　form；　attendance　a　

matter　of　taste。　　Two　things；　he　replied；　had　been　required　for　

graduation；　a　certain　competency　proved　in　the　final　trials　and　a　

certain　period　of　genuine　training　proved　by　certificate；　if　he　did　

as　I　desired；　not　less　than　if　he　gave　me　hints　for　an　examination；　

he　was　aiding　me　to　steal　a　degree。　　'You　see；　Mr。　Stevenson；　these　

are　the　laws　and　I　am　here　to　apply　them；'　said　he。　　I　could　not　

say　but　that　this　view　was　tenable；　though　it　was　new　to　me；　I　

changed　my　attack：　　it　was　only　for　my　father's　eye　that　I　required　

his　signature；　it　need　never　go　to　the　Senatus；　I　had　already　

certificates　enough　to　justify　my　year's　attendance。　　'Bring　them　

to　me；　I　cannot　take　your　word　for　that；'　said　he。　　'Then　I　will　

consider。'　　The　next　day　I　came　charged　with　my　certificates；　a　

humble　assortment。　　And　when　he　had　satisfied　himself；　'Remember；'　

said　he；　'that　I　can　promise　nothing；　but　I　will　try　to　find　a　form　

of　words。'