CHILDHOOD 29 



mother, she was a fit object of pity ; but her grand- 

 son, who heard her load his own mother with cruel 

 insults and reproaches, conceived for her an indig- 

 nant and impatient hatred, for which he blamed 

 himself in later life. It is strange from this point 

 of view to see his childish letters to Mrs. Jackson ; 

 and to think that a man, distinguished above all 

 by stubborn truthfulness, should have been brought 

 up to such dissimulation. But this is of course 

 unavoidable in life ; it did no harm to Jenkin ; 

 and whether he got harm or benefit from a so early 

 acquaintance with violent and hateful scenes, is 

 more than I can guess. The experience, at least, 

 was formative ; and in judging his character it 

 should not be forgotten. But Mrs. Jackson was 

 not the only stranger in their gates ; the Captain's 

 sister, Aunt Anna Jenkin, lived with them until 

 her death ; she had all the Jenkin beauty of coun- 

 tenance, though she was unhappily deformed in 

 body and of frail health ; and she even excelled 

 her gentle and ineffectual family in all amiable 

 qualities. So that each of the two races from 

 which Fleeming sprang had an outpost by his 

 very cradle ; the one he instinctively loved, the 

 other hated ; and the lifelong war in his members 

 had begun thus early by a victory for what was 

 best. 



We can trace the family from one country place 

 to another in the south of Scotland ; where the 



