to　explain　to　any　artist　his　own　art。
  The　defects　and　advantages　of　such　a　training　were　obvious　in
  Fleeming　throughout　life。　　His　thoroughness　was　not　that　of　the
  patient　scholar；　but　of　an　untrained　woman　with　fits　of　passionate
  study；　he　had　learned　too　much　from　dogma；　given　indeed　by
  cherished　lips；　and　precocious　as　he　was　in　the　use　of　the　tools　of
  the　mind；　he　was　truly　backward　in　knowledge　of　life　and　of
  himself。　　Such　as　it　was　at　least；　his　home　and　school　training　was
  now　complete；　and　you　are　to　conceive　the　lad　as　being　formed　in　a
  household　of　meagre　revenue；　among　foreign　surroundings；　and　under
  the　influence　of　an　imperious　drawing…room　queen；　from　whom　he
  learned　a　great　refinement　of　morals；　a　strong　sense　of　duty；　much
  forwardness　of　bearing；　all　manner　of　studious　and　artistic
  interests；　and　many　ready…made　opinions　which　he　embraced　with　a
  son's　and　a　disciple's　loyalty。
  CHAPTER　III。　　1851…1858。
  Return　to　England　…　Fleeming　at　Fairbairn's　…　Experience　in　a
  Strike　…　Dr。　Bell　and　Greek　Architecture　…　The　Gaskells　…　Fleeming
  at　Greenwich　…　The　Austins　…　Fleeming　and　the　Austins　…　His
  Engagement　…　Fleeming　and　Sir　W。　Thomson。
  IN　1851；　the　year　of　Aunt　Anna's　death；　the　family　left　Genoa　and
  came　to　Manchester；　where　Fleeming　was　entered　in　Fairbairn's　works
  as　an　apprentice。　　From　the　palaces　and　Alps；　the　Mole；　the　blue
  Mediterranean；　the　humming　lanes　and　the　bright　theatres　of　Genoa；
  he　fell　…　and　he　was　sharply　conscious　of　the　fall　…　to　the　dim
  skies　and　the　foul　ways　of　Manchester。　　England　he　found　on　his
  return　'a　horrid　place；'　and　there　is　no　doubt　the　family　found　it
  a　dear　one。　　The　story　of　the　Jenkin　finances　is　not　easy　to
  follow。　　The　family；　I　am　told；　did　not　practice　frugality；　only
  lamented　that　it　should　be　needful；　and　Mrs。　Jenkin；　who　was　always
  complaining　of　'those　dreadful　bills；'　was　'always　a　good　deal
  dressed。'　　But　at　this　time　of　the　return　to　England；　things　must
  have　gone　further。　　A　holiday　tour　of　a　fortnight；　Fleeming　feared
  would　be　beyond　what　he　could　afford；　and　he　only　projected　it　'to
  have　a　castle　in　the　air。'　　And　there　were　actual　pinches。　　Fresh
  from　a　warmer　sun；　he　was　obliged　to　go　without　a　greatcoat；　and
  learned　on　railway　journeys　to　supply　the　place　of　one　with
  wrappings　of　old　newspaper。
  From　half…past　eight　till　six；　he　must　'file　and　chip　vigorously　in
  a　moleskin　suit　and　infernally　dirty。'　　The　work　was　not　new　to
  him；　for　he　had　already　passed　some　time　in　a　Genoese　shop；　and　to
  Fleeming　no　work　was　without　interest。　　Whatever　a　man　can　do　or
  know；　he　longed　to　know　and　do　also。　　'I　never　learned　anything；'
  he　wrote；　'not　even　standing　on　my　head；　but　I　found　a　use　for　it。'
  In　the　spare　hours　of　his　first　telegraph　voyage；　to　give　an
  instance　of　his　greed　of　knowledge；　he　meant　'to　learn　the　whole
  art　of　navigation；　every　rope　in　the　ship　and　how　to　handle　her　on
  any　occasion'；　and　once　when　he　was　shown　a　young　lady's　holiday
  collection　of　seaweeds；　he　must　cry　out；　'It　showed　me　my　eyes　had
  been　idle。'　　Nor　was　his　the　case　of　the　mere　literary　smatterer；
  content　if　he　but　learn　the　names　of　things。　　In　him；　to　do　and　to
  do　well；　was　even　a　dearer　ambition　than　to　know。　　Anything　done
  well；　any　craft；　despatch；　or　finish；　delighted　and　inspired　him。
  I　remember　him　with　a　twopenny　Japanese　box　of　three　drawers；　so
  exactly　fitted　that；　when　one　was　driven　home；　the　others　started
  from　their　places；　the　whole　spirit　of　Japan；　he　told　me；　was
  pictured　in　that　box；　that　plain　piece　of　carpentry　was　as　much
  inspired　by　the　spirit　of　perfection　as　the　happiest　drawing　or　the
  finest　bronze；　and　he　who　could　not　enjoy　it　in　the　one　was　not
  fully　able　to　enjoy　it　in　the　others。　　Thus；　too；　he　found　in
  Leonardo's　engineering　and　anatomical　drawings　a　perpetual　feast；
  and　of　the　former　he　spoke　even　with　emotion。　　Nothing　indeed
  annoyed　Fleeming　more　than　the　attempt　to　separate　the　fine　arts
  from　the　arts　of　handicraft；　any　definition　or　theory　that　failed
  to　bring　these　two　together；　according　to　him；　had　missed　the
  point；　and　the　essence　of　the　pleasure　received　lay　in　seeing
  things　well　done。　　Other　qualities　must　be　added；　he　was　the　last
  to　deny　that；　but　this；　of　perfect　craft；　was　at　the　bottom　of　all。
  And　on　the　other　hand；　a　nail　ill…driven；　a　joint　ill…fitted；　a
  tracing　clumsily　done；　anything　to　which　a　man　had　set　his　hand　and
  not　set　it　aptly；　moved　him　to　shame　and　anger。　　With　such　a
  character；　he　would　feel　but　little　drudgery　at　Fairbairn's。　　There
  would　be　something　daily　to　be　done；　slovenliness　to　be　avoided；
  and　a　higher　mark　of　skill　to　be　attained；　he　would　chip　and　file；
  as　he　had　practiced　scales；　impatient　of　his　own　imperfection；　but
  resolute　to　learn。
  And　there　was　another　spring　of　delight。　　For　he　was　now　moving
  daily　among　those　strange　creations　of　man's　brain；　to　some　so
  abhorrent；　to　him　of　an　interest　so　inexhaustible：　　in　which　iron；
  water；　and　fire　are　made　to　serve　as　slaves；　now　with　a　tread　more
  powerful　than　an　elephant's；　and　now　with　a　touch　more　precise　and
  dainty　than　a　pianist's。　　The　taste　for　machinery　was　one　that　I
  could　never　share　with　him；　and　he　had　a　certain　bitter　pity　for　my
  weakness。　　Once　when　I　had　proved；　for　the　hundredth　time；　the
  depth　of　this　defect；　he　looked　at　me　askance。　　'And　the　best　of
  the　joke；'　said　he；　'is　that　he　thinks　himself　quite　a　poet。'　　For
  to　him　the　struggle　of　the　engineer　against　brute　forces　and　with
  inert　allies；　was　nobly　poetic。　　Habit　never　dulled　in　him　the
  sense　of　the　greatness　of　the　aims　and　obstacles　of　his　profession。
  Habit　only　sharpened　his　inventor's　gusto　in　contrivance；　in
  triumphant　artifice；　in　the　Odyssean　subtleties；　by　which　wires　are
  taught　to　speak；　and　iron　hands　to　weave；　and　the　slender　ship　to
  brave　and　to　outstrip　the　tempest。　　To　the　ignorant　the　great
  results　alone　are　admirable；　to　the　knowing；　and　to　Fleeming　in
  particular；　rather　the　infinite　device　and　sleight　of　hand　that
  made　them　possible。
  A　notion　was　current　at　the　time　that；　in　such　a　shop　as
  Fairbairn's；　a　pupil　would　never　be　popular　unless　he　drank　with
  the　workmen　and　imitated　them　in　speech　and　manner。　　Fleeming；　who
  would　do　none　of　these　things；　they　accepted　as　a　friend　and
  companion；　and　this　was　the　subject　of　remark　in　Manchester；　where
  some　memory　of　it　lingers　till　to…day。　　He　thought　it　one　of　the
  advantages　of　his　profession　to　be　brought　into　a　close　relation
  with　the　working　classes；　and　for　the　skilled　artisan　he　had　a
  great　esteem；　liking　his　company；　his　virtues；　and　his　taste　in
  some　of　the　arts。　　But　he　knew　the　classes　too　well　to　regard　them；
  like　a　platform　speaker；　in　a　lump。　　He　drew；　on　the　other　hand；
  broad　distinctions；　and　it　was　his　profound　sense　of　the　difference
  between　one　working　man　and　another　that　led　him　to　devote　so　much
  time；　in　later　days；　to　the　furtherance　of　technical　education。　　In
  1852　he　had　occasion　to　see　both　men　and　masters　at　their　worst；　in
  the　excitement　of　a　strike；　and　very　foolishly　（after　their　custom）
  both　would　seem　to　have　behaved。　　Beginning　with　a　fair　show　of
  justice　on　either　side；　the　masters　stultified　their　cause　by
  obstinate　impolicy；　and　the　men　disgraced　their　order　by　acts　of
  outrage。　　'On　Wednesday　last；'　writes　Fleeming；　'about　three
  thousand　banded　round　Fairbairn's　door　at　6　o'clock：　　men；　women；
  and　children；　factory　boys　and　girls；　the　lowest　of　the　low　in　a
  very　low　place。　　Orders　came　that　no　one　was　to　leave　the　works；
  but　the　men　inside　（Knobsticks；　as　they　are　called）　were　precious
  hungry　and　thought　they　would　venture。　　Two　of　my　companions　and
  myself　went　out　with　the　very　first；　and　had　the　full　benefit　of
  every　possible　groan　and　bad　language。'　　But　the　police　cleared　a
  lane　through　the　crowd；　the　pupils　were　suffered　to　escape　unhurt；
  and　only　the　Knobsticks　followed　home　and　kicked　with　clogs；　so
  that　Fleeming　enjoyed；　as　we　may　say；　for　nothing；　that　fine　thrill
  of　expectant　valour　with　which　he　had　sallied　forth　into　the　mob。
  'I　never　before　felt　myself　so　decidedly　somebody；　instead　of
  nobody；'　he　wrote。
  Outside　as　inside　the　works；　he　was　'pretty　merry　and　well　to　do；'
  zealous　in　study；　welcome　to　many　friends；　unwearied　in　loving…
  kindness　to　his　mother。　　For　some　time　he　spent　three　nights　a　week
  with　Dr。　Bell；　'working　away　at　certain　geometrical　methods　of
  getting　the　Greek　architectural　proportions'：　　a　business　after
  Fleeming's　heart；　for　he　was　never　so　pleased　as　when　he　could
  marry　his　two　devotions；　art　and　science。　　This　was　besides；　in　all
  likelihood；　the　beginning　of　that　love　and　intimate　appreciation　of
  things　Greek；　from　the　least　to　the　greatest；　from　the　AGAMEMMON
  （perhaps　his　favourite　tragedy