“Ah, faither, never mind, patience and perseverance make the man, ye ken.”

He toiled on with his burden, but shaking with laughter.  He was hoist with his own petard, but his burden grew lighter all the same.  I am sure of this.

My home, of course, was with my instructor, guide, and inspirer, Uncle Lauder—­he who had done so much to make me romantic, patriotic, and poetical at eight.  Now I was twenty-seven, but Uncle Lauder still remained Uncle Lauder.  He had not shrunk, no one could fill his place.  We had our walks and talks constantly and I was “Naig” again to him.  He had never had any name for me but that and never did have.  My dear, dear uncle, and more, much more than uncle to me.[23]

[Footnote 23:  “This uncle, who loved liberty because it is the heritage of brave souls, in the dark days of the American Civil War stood almost alone in his community for the cause which Lincoln represented.” (Hamilton Wright Mabie in Century Magazine, vol. 64, p. 958.)]

I was still dreaming and so excited that I could not sleep and had caught cold in the bargain.  The natural result of this was a fever.  I lay in uncle’s house for six weeks, a part of that time in a critical condition.  Scottish medicine was then as stern as Scottish theology (both are now much softened), and I was bled.  My thin American blood was so depleted that when I was pronounced convalescent it was long before I could stand upon my feet.  This illness put an end to my visit, but by the time I had reached America again, the ocean voyage had done me so much good I was able to resume work.

I remember being deeply affected by the reception I met with when I returned to my division.  The men of the eastern end had gathered together with a cannon and while the train passed I was greeted with a salvo.  This was perhaps the first occasion upon which my subordinates had an opportunity of making me the subject of any demonstration, and their reception made a lasting impression.  I knew how much I cared for them and it was pleasing to know that they reciprocated my feelings.  Working-men always do reciprocate kindly feeling.  If we truly care for others we need not be anxious about their feelings for us.  Like draws to like.

CHAPTER IX

BRIDGE-BUILDING

During the Civil War the price of iron went up to something like $130 per ton.  Even at that figure it was not so much a question of money as of delivery.  The railway lines of America were fast becoming dangerous for want of new rails, and this state of affairs led me to organize in 1864 a rail-making concern at Pittsburgh.  There was no difficulty in obtaining partners and capital, and the Superior Rail Mill and Blast Furnaces were built.