memoir of fleeming jenkin-第39章

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parallel　passages；　but　alongside　of　these　surviving　powers；　were　

lapses　as　remarkable；　she　misbehaved　like　a　child；　and　a　servant　

had　to　sit　with　her　at　table。　　To　see　her　so　sitting；　speaking　with　

the　tones　of　a　deaf　mute　not　always　to　the　purpose；　and　to　remember　

what　she　had　been；　was　a　moving　appeal　to　all　who　knew　her。　　Such　

was　the　pathos　of　these　two　old　people　in　their　affliction；　that　

even　the　reserve　of　cities　was　melted　and　the　neighbours　vied　in　

sympathy　and　kindness。　　Where　so　many　were　more　than　usually　

helpful；　it　is　hard　to　draw　distinctions；　but　I　am　directed　and　I　

delight　to　mention　in　particular　the　good　Dr。　Joseph　Bell；　Mr。　

Thomas；　and　Mr。　Archibald　Constable　with　both　their　wives；　the　Rev。　

Mr。　Belcombe　（of　whose　good　heart　and　taste　I　do　not　hear　for　the　

first　time　…　the　news　had　come　to　me　by　way　of　the　Infirmary）；　and　

their　next…door　neighbour；　unwearied　in　service；　Miss　Hannah　Mayne。　　

Nor　should　I　omit　to　mention　that　John　Ruffini　continued　to　write　

to　Mrs。　Jenkin　till　his　own　death；　and　the　clever　lady　known　to　the　

world　as　Vernon　Lee　until　the　end：　　a　touching；　a　becoming　

attention　to　what　was　only　the　wreck　and　survival　of　their　

brilliant　friend。



But　he　to　whom　this　affliction　brought　the　greatest　change　was　the　

Captain　himself。　　What　was　bitter　in　his　lot；　he　bore　with　unshaken　

courage；　only　once；　in　these　ten　years　of　trial；　has　Mrs。　Fleeming　

Jenkin　seen　him　weep；　for　the　rest　of　the　time　his　wife　…　his　

commanding　officer；　now　become　his　trying　child　…　was　served　not　

with　patience　alone；　but　with　a　lovely　happiness　of　temper。　　He　had　

belonged　all　his　life　to　the　ancient；　formal；　speechmaking；　

compliment…presenting　school　of　courtesy；　the　dictates　of　this　code　

partook　in　his　eyes　of　the　nature　of　a　duty；　and　he　must　now　be　

courteous　for　two。　　Partly　from　a　happy　illusion；　partly　in　a　

tender　fraud；　he　kept　his　wife　before　the　world　as　a　still　active　

partner。　　When　he　paid　a　call；　he　would　have　her　write　'with　love'　

upon　a　card；　or　if　that　（at　the　moment）　was　too　much；　he　would　go　

armed　with　a　bouquet　and　present　it　in　her　name。　　He　even　wrote　

letters　for　her　to　copy　and　sign：　　an　innocent　substitution；　which　

may　have　caused　surprise　to　Ruffini　or　to　Vernon　Lee；　if　they　ever　

received；　in　the　hand　of　Mrs。　Jenkin　the　very　obvious　reflections　

of　her　husband。　　He　had　always　adored　this　wife　whom　he　now　tended　

and　sought　to　represent　in　correspondence：　　it　was　now；　if　not　

before；　her　turn　to　repay　the　compliment；　mind　enough　was　left　her　

to　perceive　his　unwearied　kindness；　and　as　her　moral　qualities　

seemed　to　survive　quite　unimpaired；　a　childish　love　and　gratitude　

were　his　reward。　　She　would　interrupt　a　conversation　to　cross　the　

room　and　kiss　him。　　If　she　grew　excited　（as　she　did　too　often）　it　

was　his　habit　to　come　behind　her　chair　and　pat　her　shoulder；　and　

then　she　would　turn　round；　and　clasp　his　hand　in　hers；　and　look　

from　him　to　her　visitor　with　a　face　of　pride　and　love；　and　it　was　

at　such　moments　only　that　the　light　of　humanity　revived　in　her　

eyes。　　It　was　hard　for　any　stranger；　it　was　impossible　for　any　that　

loved　them；　to　behold　these　mute　scenes；　to　recall　the　past；　and　

not　to　weep。　　But　to　the　Captain；　I　think　it　was　all　happiness。　　

After　these　so　long　years；　he　had　found　his　wife　again；　perhaps　

kinder　than　ever　before；　perhaps　now　on　a　more　equal　footing；　

certainly；　to　his　eyes；　still　beautiful。　　And　the　call　made　on　his　

intelligence　had　not　been　made　in　vain。　　The　merchants　of　Aux　

Cayes；　who　had　seen　him　tried　in　some　'counter…revolution'　in　1845；　

wrote　to　the　consul　of　his　'able　and　decided　measures；'　'his　cool；　

steady　judgment　and　discernment'　with　admiration；　and　of　himself；　

as　'a　credit　and　an　ornament　to　H。　M。　Naval　Service。'　　It　is　plain　

he　must　have　sunk　in　all　his　powers；　during　the　years　when　he　was　

only　a　figure；　and　often　a　dumb　figure；　in　his　wife's　drawing…room；　

but　with　this　new　term　of　service；　he　brightened　visibly。　　He　

showed　tact　and　even　invention　in　managing　his　wife；　guiding　or　

restraining　her　by　the　touch；　holding　family　worship　so　arranged　

that　she　could　follow　and　take　part　in　it。　　He　took　（to　the　world's　

surprise）　to　reading　…　voyages；　biographies；　Blair's　SERMONS；　even　

（for　her　letter's　sake）　a　work　of　Vernon　Lee's；　which　proved；　

however；　more　than　he　was　quite　prepared　for。　　He　shone　more；　in　

his　remarkable　way；　in　society；　and　twice　he　had　a　little　holiday　

to　Glenmorven；　where；　as　may　be　fancied；　he　was　the　delight　of　the　

Highlanders。　　One　of　his　last　pleasures　was　to　arrange　his　dining…

room。　　Many　and　many　a　room　（in　their　wandering　and　thriftless　

existence）　had　he　seen　his　wife　furnish　with　exquisite　taste；　and　

perhaps　with　'considerable　luxury'：　　now　it　was　his　turn　to　be　the　

decorator。　　On　the　wall　he　had　an　engraving　of　Lord　Rodney's　

action；　showing　the　PROTHEE；　his　father's　ship；　if　the　reader　

recollects；　on　either　side　of　this　on　brackets；　his　father's　sword；　

and　his　father's　telescope；　a　gift　from　Admiral　Buckner；　who　had　

used　it　himself　during　the　engagement；　higher　yet；　the　head　of　his　

grandson's　first　stag；　portraits　of　his　son　and　his　son's　wife；　and　

a　couple　of　old　Windsor　jugs　from　Mrs。　Buckner's。　　But　his　simple　

trophy　was　not　yet　complete；　a　device　had　to　be　worked　and　framed　

and　hung　below　the　engraving；　and　for　this　he　applied　to　his　

daughter…in…law：　　'I　want　you　to　work　me　something；　Annie。　　An　

anchor　at　each　side　…　an　anchor　…　stands　for　an　old　sailor；　you　

know　…　stands　for　hope；　you　know　…　an　anchor　at　each　side；　and　in　

the　middle　THANKFUL。'　　It　is　not　easy；　on　any　system　of　

punctuation；　to　represent　the　Captain's　speech。　　Yet　I　hope　there　

may　shine　out　of　these　facts；　even　as　there　shone　through　his　own　

troubled　utterance；　some　of　the　charm　of　that　delightful　spirit。



In　1881；　the　time　of　the　golden　wedding　came　round　for　that　sad　and　

pretty　household。　　It　fell　on　a　Good　Friday；　and　its　celebration　

can　scarcely　be　recalled　without　both　smiles　and　tears。　　The　

drawing…room　was　filled　with　presents　and　beautiful　bouquets；　

these；　to　Fleeming　and　his　family；　the　golden　bride　and　bridegroom　

displayed　with　unspeakable　pride；　she　so　painfully　excited　that　the　

guests　feared　every　moment　to　see　her　stricken　afresh；　he　guiding　

and　moderating　her　with　his　customary　tact　and　understanding；　and　

doing　the　honours　of　the　day　with　more　than　his　usual　delight。　　

Thence　they　were　brought　to　the　dining…room；　where　the　Captain's　

idea　of　a　feast　awaited　them：　　tea　and　champagne；　fruit　and　toast　

and　childish　little　luxuries；　set　forth　pell…mell　and　pressed　at　

random　on　the　guests。　　And　here　he　must　make　a　speech　for　himself　

and　his　wife；　praising　their　destiny；　their　marriage；　their　son；　

their　daughter…in…law；　their　grandchildren；　their　manifold　causes　

of　gratitude：　　surely　the　most　innocent　speech；　the　old；　sharp　

contemner　of　his　innocence　now　watching　him　with　eyes　of　

admiration。　　Then　it　was　time　for　the　guests　to　depart；　and　they　

went　away；　bathed；　even　to　the　youngest　child；　in　tears　of　

inseparable　sorrow　and　gladness；　and　leaving　the　golden　bride　and　

bridegroom　to　their　own　society　and　that　of　the　hired　nurse。



It　was　a　great　thing　for　Fleeming　to　make；　even　thus　late；　the　

acquaintance　of　his　father；　but　the　harrowing　pathos　of　such　scenes　

consumed　him。　　In　a　life　of　tense　intellectual　effort；　a　certain　

smoothness　of　emotional　tenor　were　to　be　desired；　or　we　burn　the　

candle　at　both　ends。　　Dr。　Bell　perceived　the　evil　that　was　being　

done；　he　pressed　Mrs。　Jenkin　to　restrain　her　husband　from　too　

frequent　visits；　but　here　was　one　of　those　clear…cut；　indubitable　

duties　for　which　Fleeming　lived；　and　he　could　not　pardon　even　the　

suggestion　of　neglect。



And　now；　after　death　had　so　long　visibly　but　still　innocuously　

hovered　above　the　family；　it　began　at　last　to　strike　and　its　blows　

fell　thick　and