specting him, in the hope that you may be able to select something for Mr. Stewart; and shall not attempt any apology for the manner it is given in, as my only anxiety has been to throw the greatest quantity of matter together in the shortest possible time. James's visit to Relugas has several times occurred to me. The only thing respecting it in which there could be misconception, is the idea of his having thought of paying for his food, as I have never been aware of his having any idea connected with money, farther than its being a possible means of procuring pipes or tobacco for him. I have been told that, upon half-a-crown being given him by some passing stranger, he had gone into a shop and laid it on the counter, and the wished-for articles not being immediately given to him, he had taken it and thrown it to the opposite side of the street, as being utterly worthless. On another occasion, I know he carried home a similar sum, and gave it to the maid-servant, who chanced to be the only member of the family he could meet with. I know you will have the goodness to forgive the liberty I take in alluding to the circumstance. Although yours is the more natural conclusion, yet from all I know of his habits, I consider the action as merely indicative of satisfaction.-I remain, my dear Sir, &c. (Signed) JANE G. MITCHELL." Addressed, SIR THOMAS DICK LAUDER of Fountainhall, Bart. Having now given you Miss Mitchell's letter at full length, I shall proceed to detail the circumstances of the visit she alludes to. It was one day about noon, in the month of May last, that I saw him pass the window of the dining-room, where I was sitting, and immediately recognising him, I hastened to the house door, and met him in the porch in the act of entering. I took him by the hand, clapped him gently on the back, and led him to the room I had just left, and taking him towards Mrs. Cumin, who was the only person with me at the time, he shook hands with her. I then conducted him to a sofa, where he sat down, and being apparently a good deal tired, he leaned back in expectation of finding support; but the sofa being one of those constructed without a back, he was surprised, and in stantly made himself master of its form by feeling it all over. I then took his hand and put it to his mouth, with the intention of making him understand that he should have something to eat. He immediately put his hand into his waistcoat pocket, where he had some copper, as if with the intention of taking it out. It is to this circumstance that the concluding part of Miss Mitchell's letter refers. My impression was, that he meant to express that he could pay for food if it was given him. Miss Mitchell seems to think that it was an indication of satisfaction merely. I confess, however, that his action appeared to me to be so immediately consequent on mine, that I cannot yet doubt that it resulted from it. He may have misinterpreted my signal, and imagined that it referred to a pipe and tobacco, and this may perhaps reconcile our difference of opinion. I lost no time in ordering luncheon, and in the meanwhile I gave my interesting visitor a segar. He took it in his hand, smelt at it, and then put it into his waistcoat pocket with a smile of infinite satisfaction. I took another segar from the case, and having lighted it, I put it into his hand. He carried it also directly towards his nose, but in its way thither the red glare of the burning end of it caught his eye, (which is perfectly aware of light, although not of form,) and arrested his hand. He looked at it for a moment, turned it round, and having extinguished it between his finger and his thumb, he put it also into his pocket with the air of being much amused. I was then convinced that he had never before met with a segar, and that he knew it only as tobacco. I therefore prepared another, lighted it, smoked two or three whiffs, so as to make him sensible of the odour, and then taking his hand, I put it into it, and guided it to his mouth. He now at once comprehended matters, and began whiffing away with great delight. But the fumes of the tobacco ascending from the burning end of the segar, stimulated his eye, and gave him pain; yet he was not to be defeated by this circumstance; for, retaining the segar between his fore-finger and thumb, he stretched up his middle finger, and keeping his eyelid close with it, he went on smoking, until I judged it proper to remove the end of the segar from his mouth when it was nearly finished. By this time Lady Lauder came in, and I begged that the children might be brought. I took each of them to him in succession, and he patted their heads; but the ceremony, though tolerated, seemed to give him little pleasure. A tray now appeared, and I led him to a seat at the table. I put a napkin on his knee, and comprehending what he was to be employed in, he drew his chair very close to the table, as if to prevent accident to the carpet, and spread the napkin so as to protect his clothes. I helped him to some broth, and guided his spoon for two or three times, after which I left him to himself, when he leaned over the table, and continued to eat the broth without spilling any of it, groping for the bread, and eating slice after slice of it with seeming appetite. The truth was, he had been wandering for some days, had been at Ardclach, his native place, had had a long walk that morning, and was very hungry. My house, you know, is seventeen miles from Nairn. I then cut some cold meat for him, and he helped himself to it very adroitly with his fork, drinking beer from time to time as he wanted it, without losing a drop of it. After he had finished, he sat for a few minutes, and then he arose, as if he wished to go. I then gave him a glass of wine, and each of us having shaken him by the hand, he moved towards the door, where I got him his hat, and taking him by the arm, I led him down the approach to the lodge. Having made him aware of the obstruction which the gate presented, I opened it for him, led him into the road, and giving his arm a swing in the direction I wished him to take, I shook hands with him again, and he moved away at a good round pace as I had indicated. Some years ago Mitchell paid a visit to Relugas, but I was unfortunately from home at the time, and as he was known to no one else, his awkward gait occasioned his being mistaken for a drunk or insane person; and the doors being shut against him, he went away. He never repeated his visit until the late occasion; but I am not without hope that the kind treatment he last met with may induce him to come here the next time he takes a ramble. His countenance is so intelligent, and its VOL. IV. 2 A expression in every respect so good, that he interested every individual of the family, and delighted us all. Will you have the goodness to say to Mr. Stewart, with my best compliments, that I consider myself highly honoured by his application to me. I have given him all the circumstances I can at present remember; and I beg you will assure him, that should he have any queries to propose, it will give me great pleasure to satisfy him to the best of my power, and I hope he will have no scruple in commanding my services. lieve me, my dear Napier, ever yours most sincerely, Be After reading the foregoing letters, (the minutest details in which were to me deeply interesting,) I could not help feeling much additional regret at the failure of the plan which I had formed for attempting the farther education of Mitchell. See pp. 333, 336, 337, of this volume. His intellectual capacity (manifested in that prudential sagacity which has been the gradual result of his very limited experience, and still more remarkably in that foresight which enables him to look forward with dread to the possibility of future contingencies) seems to me now to be far superior to what I had previously apprehended. How invaluable was the opportunity which has been thus lost of adding to the Natural History of the Human Mind! No exertion certainly was wanting on my part, aided by the cordial co-operation of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, to accomplish the objects we had in view.1 [For information in regard to James Mitchell's present state, see Appendix, p. 388.-Ed.] |