CHAP. IV. 



TELFORD'S DUTY TO HIS MOTHER. 



325 



the whole of them. The melody of sound is thrown away 

 upon me. One look, one word of Mrs. Jordan, has more 

 effect upon me than all the fiddlers in England. Yet I 

 sat down and tried to be as attentive as any mortal could 

 be. I endeavoured, if possible, to get up an interest in 

 what was going on ; but it was all of no use. I felt no 

 emotion whatever, excepting only a strong inclination 

 to go to sleep. It must be a defect ; but it is a fact, and 

 I cannot help it. I suppose my ignorance of the subject, 

 and the want of musical experience in my youth, may 

 be the cause *of it." l 



Telford's mother was still living in her old cottage at 

 The Crooks. Since he had parted from her he had written 

 many printed letters to keep her informed of his pro- 

 gress ; and he never wrote to any of his friends in 

 the dale without including some message or other to his 

 mother. Like a good and dutiful son, he had taken care 

 out of his means to provide for her comfort in her de- 

 clining years. " She has been a good mother to me," he 

 said, " and I will try and be a good son to her." In a 

 letter written from Shrewsbury about this time, enclosing 

 a ten pound note, seven pounds of which was to be given 

 to his mother, he said, " I have from time to time written 

 William Jackson [his cousin] and told him to furnish 

 her with whatever she wants to make her comfortable ; 

 but there may be many little things she may wish to 

 have, and yet not like to ask him for. You will there- 

 fore agree with me that it is right she should have a 

 little cash to dispose of in her own way. . . I am not 

 rich yet ; but it will ease my mind to set my mother above 

 the fear of want. That has always been my first object ; 

 and next to that, to be the somebody which you have always 

 encouraged me to believe I might aspire to become. 

 Perhaps after all there may be something in it ! " 



1 Letter to Mr. Andrew Little, 

 miirholm, dated 3rd Sept., 1788. 



2 Letter to Mr. Andrew Little, 



Langholm, dated Shrewsbury, 8th 

 October, 1789. 



