490 HIS BENEVOLENCE ESKDALE. PART VIIT. 



volence which constituted perhaps the most genuine 

 pleasure of his life. It is one of the most delightful 

 traits in this excellent man's career to find him so con- 

 stantly occupied in works of spontaneous charity, in 

 places so remote that it is impossible the slightest feeling 

 of ostentation could ever have sullied the purity of his 

 acts. Among the large mass of Telford's private letters 

 which have been submitted to us, we find constant refer- 

 ence to sums of money transmitted for the support of 

 poor people in his native valley. At new year's time he 

 regularly sent a remittance of from 30/. to 50/., to be 

 distributed by the kind Miss Malcolm of Burnfoot, and, 

 after her death, by Mr. Little, the postmaster at Lang- 

 holm ; and the contributions thus so kindly made did 

 much to fend off the winter's cold, and surround with 

 many small comforts those who most needed help, but 

 were perhaps too modest to ask it. 



Many of those in the valley of the Esk had known of 

 Telford in his younger years as a poor barefooted boy ; 

 yet though become a man of distinction, he had too 

 much good sense to be ashamed of his humble origin ; 

 perhaps he even felt proud that, by dint of his own 

 valorous and persevering efforts, he had been able to rise 

 so much above it. Throughout his long life his heart 

 always warmed at the thought of Eskdale. He rejoiced 

 at the honourable rise of Eskdale men as reflecting 

 credit upon his " beloved valley." Thus, writing to his 

 Langholm correspondent, with reference to the honours 

 conferred on the different members of the family of 

 Malcolm, he said : " The distinctions so deservedly be- 

 stowed upon the Burnfoot family, establish a splendid 

 era in Eskdale ; and almost tempt your correspondent to 

 sport his Swedish honours, which that grateful country 

 has repeatedly, in spite of refusal, transmitted." It 

 might be said that there was narrowness and provin- 



Letter to Mr. William Little, Langholm, 24th January, 1815. 



