of　Jack；　the　harum…scarum　Irish　terrier　ere　we　have　done；　his　own
  dog　Plato　went　up　with　him　daily　to　his　lectures；　and　still　（like
  other　friends）　feels　the　loss　and　looks　visibly　for　the
  reappearance　of　his　master；　and　Martin；　the　cat；　Fleeming　has
  himself　immortalised；　to　the　delight　of　Mr。　Swinburne；　in　the
  columns　of　the　SPECTATOR。　　Indeed　there　was　nothing　in　which　men
  take　interest；　in　which　he　took　not　some；　and　yet　always　most　in
  the　strong　human　bonds；　ancient　as　the　race　and　woven　of　delights
  and　duties。
  He　was　even　an　anxious　father；　perhaps　that　is　the　part　where
  optimism　is　hardest　tested。　　He　was　eager　for　his　sons；　eager　for
  their　health；　whether　of　mind　or　body；　eager　for　their　education；
  in　that；　I　should　have　thought；　too　eager。　　But　he　kept　a　pleasant
  face　upon　all　things；　believed　in　play；　loved　it　himself；　shared
  boyishly　in　theirs；　and　knew　how　to　put　a　face　of　entertainment
  upon　business　and　a　spirit　of　education　into　entertainment。　　If　he
  was　to　test　the　progress　of　the　three　boys；　this　advertisement
  would　appear　in　their　little　manuscript　paper：…　'Notice：　　The
  Professor　of　Engineering　in　the　University　of　Edinburgh　intends　at
  the　close　of　the　scholastic　year　to　hold　examinations　in　the
  following　subjects：　　（1）　　For　boys　in　the　fourth　class　of　the
  Academy　…　Geometry　and　Algebra；　（2）　　For　boys　at　Mr。　Henderson's
  school　…　Dictation　and　Recitation；　（3）　　For　boys　taught　exclusively
  by　their　mothers　…　Arithmetic　and　Reading。'　　Prizes　were　given；　but
  what　prize　would　be　so　conciliatory　as　this　boyish　little　joke？　　It
  may　read　thin　here；　it　would　smack　racily　in　the　playroom。
  Whenever　his　sons　'started　a　new　fad'　（as　one　of　them　writes　to　me）
  they　'had　only　to　tell　him　about　it；　and　he　was　at　once　interested
  and　keen　to　help。'　　He　would　discourage　them　in　nothing　unless　it
  was　hopelessly　too　hard　for　them；　only；　if　there　was　any　principle
  of　science　involved；　they　must　understand　the　principle；　and
  whatever　was　attempted；　that　was　to　be　done　thoroughly。　　If　it　was
  but　play；　if　it　was　but　a　puppetshow　they　were　to　build；　he　set
  them　the　example　of　being　no　sluggard　in　play。　　When　Frewen；　the
  second　son；　embarked　on　the　ambitious　design　to　make　an　engine　for
  a　toy　steamboat；　Fleeming　made　him　begin　with　a　proper　drawing　…
  doubtless　to　the　disgust　of　the　young　engineer；　but　once　that
  foundation　laid；　helped　in　the　work　with　unflagging　gusto；
  'tinkering　away；'　for　hours；　and　assisted　at　the　final　trial　'in
  the　big　bath'　with　no　less　excitement　than　the　boy。　　'He　would　take
  any　amount　of　trouble　to　help　us；'　writes　my　correspondent。　　'We
  never　felt　an　affair　was　complete　till　we　had　called　him　to　see；
  and　he　would　come　at　any　time；　in　the　middle　of　any　work。'　　There
  was　indeed　one　recognised　playhour；　immediately　after　the　despatch
  of　the　day's　letters；　and　the　boys　were　to　be　seen　waiting　on　the
  stairs　until　the　mail　should　be　ready　and　the　fun　could　begin。　　But
  at　no　other　time　did　this　busy　man　suffer　his　work　to　interfere
  with　that　first　duty　to　his　children；　and　there　is　a　pleasant　tale
  of　the　inventive　Master　Frewen；　engaged　at　the　time　upon　a　toy
  crane；　bringing　to　the　study　where　his　father　sat　at　work　a　half…
  wound　reel　that　formed　some　part　of　his　design；　and　observing；
  'Papa；　you　might　finiss　windin'　this　for　me；　I　am　so　very　busy　to…
  day。'
  I　put　together　here　a　few　brief　extracts　from　Fleeming's　letters；
  none　very　important　in　itself；　but　all　together　building　up　a
  pleasant　picture　of　the　father　with　his　sons。
  'JAN。　15TH；　1875。　…　Frewen　contemplates　suspending　soap　bubbles　by
  silk　threads　for　experimental　purposes。　　I　don't　think　he　will
  manage　that。　　Bernard'　＇the　youngest＇　'volunteered　to　blow　the
  bubbles　with　enthusiasm。'
  'JAN。　17TH。　…　I　am　learning　a　great　deal　of　electrostatics　in
  consequence　of　the　perpetual　cross…examination　to　which　I　am
  subjected。　　I　long　for　you　on　many　grounds；　but　one　is　that　I　may
  not　be　obliged　to　deliver　a　running　lecture　on　abstract　points　of
  science；　subject　to　cross…　examination　by　two　acute　students。
  Bernie　does　not　cross…examine　much；　but　if　anyone　gets　discomfited；
  he　laughs　a　sort　of　little　silver…whistle　giggle；　which　is　trying
  to　the　unhappy　blunderer。'
  'MAY　9TH。　…　Frewen　is　deep　in　parachutes。　　I　beg　him　not　to　drop
  from　the　top　landing　in　one　of　his　own　making。'
  'JUNE　6TH；　1876。　…　Frewen's　crank　axle　is　a　failure　just　at　present
  …　but　he　bears　up。'
  'JUNE　14TH。　…　The　boys　enjoy　their　riding。　　It　gets　them　whole
  funds　of　adventures。　　One　of　their　caps　falling　off　is　matter　for
  delightful　reminiscences；　and　when　a　horse　breaks　his　step；　the
  occurrence　becomes　a　rear；　a　shy；　or　a　plunge　as　they　talk　it　over。
  Austin；　with　quiet　confidence；　speaks　of　the　greater　pleasure　in
  riding　a　spirited　horse；　even　if　he　does　give　a　little　trouble。　　It
  is　the　stolid　brute　that　he　dislikes。　　（N。B。　You　can　still　see　six
  inches　between　him　and　the　saddle　when　his　pony　trots。）　　I　listen
  and　sympathise　and　throw　out　no　hint　that　their　achievements　are
  not　really　great。'
  'JUNE　18TH。　…　Bernard　is　much　impressed　by　the　fact　that　I　can　be
  useful　to　Frewen　about　the　steamboat'　　＇which　the　latter
  irrepressible　inventor　was　making＇。　　'He　says　quite　with　awe；　〃He
  would　not　have　got　on　nearly　so　well　if　you　had　not　helped　him。〃'
  'JUNE　27TH。　…　I　do　not　see　what　I　could　do　without　Austin。　　He
  talks　so　pleasantly　and　is　so　truly　good　all　through。'
  'JUNE　27TH。　…　My　chief　difficulty　with　Austin　is　to　get　him
  measured　for　a　pair　of　trousers。　　Hitherto　I　have　failed；　but　I
  keep　a　stout　heart　and　mean　to　succeed。　　Frewen　the　observer；　in
  describing　the　paces　of　two　horses；　says；　〃Polly　takes　twenty…seven
  steps　to　get　round　the　school。　　I　couldn't　count　Sophy；　but　she
  takes　more　than　a　hundred。〃'
  'FEB。　18TH；　1877。　…　We　all　feel　very　lonely　without　you。　　Frewen
  had　to　come　up　and　sit　in　my　room　for　company　last　night　and　I
  actually　kissed　him；　a　thing　that　has　not　occurred　for　years。
  Jack；　poor　fellow；　bears　it　as　well　as　he　can；　and　has　taken　the
  opportunity　of　having　a　fester　on　his　foot；　so　he　is　lame　and　has
  it　bathed；　and　this　occupies　his　thoughts　a　good　deal。'
  'FEB。　19TH。　…　As　to　Mill；　Austin　has　not　got　the　list　yet。　　I　think
  it　will　prejudice　him　very　much　against　Mill　…　but　that　is　not　my
  affair。　　Education　of　that　kind！　。　。　。　I　would　as　soon　cram　my　boys
  with　food　and　boast　of　the　pounds　they　had　eaten；　as　cram　them　with
  literature。'
  But　if　Fleeming　was　an　anxious　father；　he　did　not　suffer　his
  anxiety　to　prevent　the　boys　from　any　manly　or　even　dangerous
  pursuit。　　Whatever　it　might　occur　to　them　to　try；　he　would
  carefully　show　them　how　to　do　it；　explain　the　risks；　and　then
  either　share　the　danger　himself　or；　if　that　were　not　possible；
  stand　aside　and　wait　the　event　with　that　unhappy　courage　of　the
  looker…on。　　He　was　a　good　swimmer；　and　taught　them　to　swim。　　He
  thoroughly　loved　all　manly　exercises；　and　during　their　holidays；
  and　principally　in　the　Highlands；　helped　and　encouraged　them　to
  excel　in　as　many　as　possible：　　to　shoot；　to　fish；　to　walk；　to　pull
  an　oar；　to　hand；　reef　and　steer；　and　to　run　a　steam　launch。　　In　all
  of　these；　and　in　all　parts　of　Highland　life；　he　shared　delightedly。
  He　was　well　onto　forty　when　he　took　once　more　to　shooting；　he　was
  forty…three　when　he　killed　his　first　salmon；　but　no　boy　could　have
  more　single…mindedly　rejoiced　in　these　pursuits。　　His　growing　love
  for　the　Highland　character；　perhaps　also　a　sense　of　the　difficulty
  of　the　task；　led　him　to　take　up　at　forty…one　the　study　of　Gaelic；
  in　which　he　made　some　shadow　of　progress；　but　not　much：　　the
  fastnesses　of　that　elusive　speech　retaining　to　the　last　their
  independence。　　At　the　house　of　his　friend　Mrs。　Blackburn；　who　plays
  the　part　of　a　Highland　lady　as　to　the　manner　born；　he　learned　the
  delightful　custom　of　kitchen　dances；　which　became　the　rule　at　his
  own　house　and　brought　him　into　yet　nearer　contact　with　his
  neighbours。　　And　thus　at　forty…two；　he　began　to　learn　the　reel；　a
  study；　to　which　he　brought　his　usual　smiling　earnestness；　and　the
  steps；　diagrammatically　represented　by　his　own　hand；　are　before　me
  as　I　write。
  It　was　in　1879　that　a　new　feature　was　added　to　the　Highland　life：
  a　steam　launch；　called　the　PURGLE；　the　Styrian　corruption　of
  Walpurga；　after　a　friend　to　be　hereafter　mentioned。　　'The　steam
  launch　goes；'　Fleeming　wrote。　　'I　wish　you　had　been　present　to
  describe　two　scenes　of　which　she　has　been　the　occasion　already：
  one　during　which　the　population　of　Ullapool；　to　a　baby；　was
  harnessed　to　her　hurrahing　…　and　the　other　in　which　the　same
  population　sat　with　its　legs　over　a　little　pier；　watching　Frewen
  and　Bernie　getting　up　steam　for　the　first　time。'　　The　PURGLE　was
  got　with　educational　intent；　and　it　served　its　purpo