one。　　Particular　bonds　of　union　must　have　pre…existed　on　each　side。　　And　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　man　and　the　boy　met　with　common　ambitions；　and　a　common　bent；　to　the　practice　of　that　which　had　not　so　long　before　acquired　the　name　of　civil　engineering。
  For　the　profession　which　is　now　so　thronged；　famous；　and　influential；　was　then　a　thing　of　yesterday。　　My　grandfather　had　an　anecdote　of　Smeaton；　probably　learned　from　John　Clerk　of　Eldin；　their　common　friend。　　Smeaton　was　asked　by　the　Duke　of　Argyll　to　visit　the　West　Highland　coast　for　a　professional　purpose。　　He　refused；　appalled；　it　seems；　by　the　rough　travelling。　　‘You　can　recommend　some　other　fit　person？'　asked　the　Duke。　　‘No；'　said　Smeaton；　‘I'm　sorry　I　can't。'　　‘What！'　cried　the　Duke；　‘a　profession　with　only　one　man　in　it！　　Pray；　who　taught　you？'　　‘Why；'　said　Smeaton；　‘I　believe　I　may　say　I　was　self…taught；　an't　please　your　grace。'　　Smeaton；　at　the　date　of　Thomas　Smith's　third　marriage；　was　yet　living；　and　as　the　one　had　grown　to　the　new　profession　from　his　place　at　the　instrument…maker's；　the　other　was　beginning　to　enter　it　by　the　way　of　his　trade。　　The　engineer　of　to…day　is　confronted　with　a　library　of　acquired　results；　tables　and　formulae　to　the　value　of　folios　full　have　been　calculated　and　recorded；　and　the　student　finds　everywhere　in　front　of　him　the　footprints　of　the　pioneers。　　In　the　eighteenth　century　the　field　was　largely　unexplored；　the　engineer　must　read　with　his　own　eyes　the　face　of　nature；　he　arose　a　volunteer；　from　the　workshop　or　the　mill；　to　undertake　works　which　were　at　once　inventions　and　adventures。　　It　was　not　a　science　then　…　it　was　a　living　art；　and　it　visibly　grew　under　the　eyes　and　between　the　hands　of　its　practitioners。
  The　charm　of　such　an　occupation　was　strongly　felt　by　stepfather　and　stepson。　　It　chanced　that　Thomas　Smith　was　a　reformer；　the　superiority　of　his　proposed　lamp　and　reflectors　over　open　fires　of　coal　secured　his　appointment；　and　no　sooner　had　he　set　his　hand　to　the　task　than　the　interest　of　that　employment　mastered　him。　　The　vacant　stage　on　which　he　was　to　act；　and　where　all　had　yet　to　be　created　…　the　greatness　of　the　difficulties；　the　smallness　of　the　means　intrusted　him　…　would　rouse　a　man　of　his　disposition　like　a　call　to　battle。　The　lad　introduced　by　marriage　under　his　roof　was　of　a　character　to　sympathise；　the　public　usefulness　of　the　service　would　appeal　to　his　judgment；　the　perpetual　need　for　fresh　expedients　stimulate　his　ingenuity。　　And　there　was　another　attraction　which；　in　the　younger　man　at　least；　appealed　to；　and　perhaps　first　aroused；　a　profound　and　enduring　sentiment　of　romance：　I　mean　the　attraction　of　the　life。　　The　seas　into　which　his　labours　carried　the　new　engineer　were　still　scarce　charted；　the　coasts　still　dark；　his　way　on　shore　was　often　far　beyond　the　convenience　of　any　road；　the　isles　in　which　he　must　sojourn　were　still　partly　savage。　　He　must　toss　much　in　boats；　he　must　often　adventure　on　horseback　by　the　dubious　bridle…　track　through　unfrequented　wildernesses；　he　must　sometimes　plant　his　lighthouse　in　the　very　camp　of　wreckers；　and　he　was　continually　enforced　to　the　vicissitudes　of　outdoor　life。　　The　joy　of　my　grandfather　in　this　career　was　strong　as　the　love　of　woman。　　It　lasted　him　through　youth　and　manhood；　it　burned　strong　in　age；　and　at　the　approach　of　death　his　last　yearning　was　to　renew　these　loved　experiences。　　What　he　felt　himself　he　continued　to　attribute　to　all　around　him。　　And　to　this　supposed　sentiment　in　others　I　find　him　continually；　almost　pathetically；　appealing；　often　in　vain。
  Snared　by　these　interests；　the　boy　seems　to　have　become　almost　at　once　the　eager　confidant　and　adviser　of　his　new　connection；　the　Church；　if　he　had　ever　entertained　the　prospect　very　warmly；　faded　from　his　view；　and　at　the　age　of　nineteen　I　find　him　already　in　a　post　of　some　authority；　superintending　the　construction　of　the　lighthouse　on　the　isle　of　Little　Cumbrae；　in　the　Firth　of　Clyde。　　The　change　of　aim　seems　to　have　caused　or　been　accompanied　by　a　change　of　character。　　It　sounds　absurd　to　couple　the　name　of　my　grandfather　with　the　word　indolence；　but　the　lad　who　had　been　destined　from　the　cradle　to　the　Church；　and　who　had　attained　the　age　of　fifteen　without　acquiring　more　than　a　moderate　knowledge　of　Latin；　was　at　least　no　unusual　student。　　And　from　the　day　of　his　charge　at　Little　Cumbrae　he　steps　before　us　what　he　remained　until　the　end；　a　man　of　the　most　zealous　industry；　greedy　of　occupation；　greedy　of　knowledge；　a　stern　husband　of　time；　a　reader；　a　writer；　unflagging　in　his　task　of　self…improvement。　　Thenceforward　his　summers　were　spent　directing　works　and　ruling　workmen；　now　in　uninhabited；　now　in　half…savage　islands；　his　winters　were　set　apart；　first　at　the　Andersonian　Institution；　then　at　the　University　of　Edinburgh　to　improve　himself　in　mathematics；　chemistry；　natural　history；　agriculture；　moral　philosophy；　and　logic；　a　bearded　student　…　although　no　doubt　scrupulously　shaved。　　I　find　one　reference　to　his　years　in　class　which　will　have　a　meaning　for　all　who　have　studied　in　Scottish　Universities。　　He　mentions　a　recommendation　made　by　the　professor　of　logic。　　‘The　high…　school　men；'　he　writes；　‘and　BEARDED　MEN　LIKE　MYSELF；　were　all　attention。'　　If　my　grandfather　were　throughout　life　a　thought　too　studious　of　the　art　of　getting　on；　much　must　be　forgiven　to　the　bearded　and　belated　student　who　looked　across；　with　a　sense　of　difference；　at　‘the　high…school　men。'　　Here　was　a　gulf　to　be　crossed；　but　already　he　could　feel　that　he　had　made　a　beginning；　and　that　must　have　been　a　proud　hour　when　he　devoted　his　earliest　earnings　to　the　repayment　of　the　charitable　foundation　in　which　he　had　received　the　rudiments　of　knowledge。
  In　yet　another　way　he　followed　the　example　of　his　father…　in…law；　and　from　1794　to　1807；　when　the　affairs　of　the　Bell　Rock　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　resign；　he　served　in　different　corps　of　volunteers。　　In　the　last　of　these　he　rose　to　a　position　of　distinction；　no　less　than　captain　of　the　Grenadier　Company；　and　his　colonel；　in　accepting　his　resignation；　entreated　he　would　do　them　‘the　favour　of　continuing　as　an　honorary　member　of　a　corps　which　has　been　so　much　indebted　for　your　zeal　and　exertions。'
  To　very　pious　women　the　men　of　the　house　are　apt　to　appear　worldly。　　The　wife；　as　she　puts　on　her　new　bonnet　before　church；　is　apt　to　sigh　over　that　assiduity　which　enabled　her　husband　to　pay　the　milliner's　bill。　　And　in　the　household　of　the　Smiths　and　Stevensons　the　women　were　not　only　extremely　pious；　but　the　men　were　in　reality　a　trifle　worldly。　Religious　they　both　were；　conscious；　like　all　Scots；　of　the　fragility　and　unreality　of　that　scene　in　which　we　play　our　uncomprehended　parts；　like　all　Scots；　realising　daily　and　hourly　the　sense　of　another　will　than　ours　and　a　perpetual　direction　in　the　affairs　of　life。　　But　the　current　of　their　endeavours　flowed　in　a　more　obvious　channel。　　They　had　got　on　so　far；　to　get　on　further　was　their　next　ambition　…　to　gather　wealth；　to　rise　in　society；　to　leave　their　descendants　higher　than　themselves；　to　be　（in　some　sense）　among　the　founders　of　families。　　Scott　was　in　the　same　town　nourishing　similar　dreams。　　But　in　the　eyes　of　the　women　these　dreams　would　be　foolish　and　idolatrous。
  I　have　before　me　some　volumes　of　old　letters　addressed　to　Mrs。　Smith　and　the　two　girls；　her　favourites；　which　depict　in　a　strong　light　their　characters　and　the　society　in　which　they　moved。
  ‘My　very　dear　and　much　esteemed　Friend；'　writes　one　correspondent；　‘this　day　being　the　anniversary　of　our　acquaintance；　I　feel　inclined　to　address　you；　but　where　shall　I　find　words　to　express　the　fealings　of　a　graitful　HEART；　first　to　the　Lord　who　graiciously　inclined　you　on　this　day　last　year　to　notice　an　afflicted　Strainger　providentially　cast　in　your　way　far　from　any　Earthly　friend？　。　。　。　　Methinks　I　shall　hear　him　say　unto　you；　〃Inasmuch　as　ye　shewed　kindness　to　my　afflicted　handmaiden；　ye　did　it　unto　me。〃　'
  This　is　to　Jean；　but　the　same　afflicted　lady　wrote　indifferently　to　Jean；　to　Janet；　and　to　Ms。　Smith；　whom　she　calls　‘my　Edinburgh　mother。'　　It　is　plain　the　three　were　as　one　person；　moving　to　acts　of　kindness；　like　the　Graces；　inarmed。　　Too　much　stress　must　not　be　laid　on　the　style　of　this　correspondence；　Clarinda　survived；　not　far　away；　and　may　have　met　the　ladies　on　the　Calton　Hill；　and　many　of　the　writers　appear；　underneath　the　conventions　of　the　period；　to　be　genuinely　moved。　　But　what　unpleasantly　strikes　a　reader　is；　that　these　devout　unfortunates　found　a　revenue　in　their　devotion。　　It　is　everywhere　the　same　tale；　on　the　side　of　the　soft…hearted　ladies；　substantial　acts　of　help；　on　the　side　of　the　correspondents；　affection；　italics；　texts；　ecstasies；　and　imperfect　spelling。　　When　a　midwife　is　recommended；　not　at　all　for　proficiency　in　her　important　art；　but　because　she　has　‘a　sister　whom　I　＇the　correspondent＇　esteem　and　respect；　and　＇who＇　is　a　spiritual　daughter　of　my　Hond　Father　in　the　Gosple；'　the　mask　seems　to　be　torn　off；　and　the　wages　of　godliness　appear　too　openly。　　Capacity　is　a　secondary　matter　in　a　midwife；　temper　in　a　servant；　affection　in　a　daughter；　and　the　repetition　of　a　shibboleth　fulfils　the　law。　　Common　decency　is　at　times　forgot　in　the　same　page　with　the