134 A Journey to London in 1840. 



Kirkcudbrightshire, and that she had been for seven years in 

 succession nursery maid in the house of a respectable physician 

 in Edinburgh. She succeeded her .sister, who had held the situa- 

 tion for three years. She had given up ser\-ice and was going to 

 reside with her relations now settled in Liverpool, but on her way 

 she meant to spend a day or two in Paisley at the house of an 

 uncle. She had attended the ministry of Dr John Brown during 

 the whole time she remained in Edinburgh, and she felt nervously 

 anxious about his health, which was .so frail that he had recently 

 been obliged to leave town for change of air. I took a great 

 interest in her owing to her innate and un.sophisticated goodness. 

 I shewed her the place whence the Paisley coaches start as she 

 was a perfect stranger in Glasgow. Would that all female 

 servants were as innocent and respectable as she evidently was ! 



On leaving Old Monkland we entered the purlieus of Glas- 

 gow, the Manchester of Scotland, and the second town in point 

 of population in Great Britain. Of this great emporium of trade 

 and manufactures, of the enterprise and liberality of its inhabi- 

 tants, of its literature, or of its rapid rise and history, I do not 

 intend to say a word. As I had left Edinburgh early in order to 

 sail for Liverpool by the steamer at 12 o'clock, I hastened on 

 mv arrival to the Broomielaw to secure a berth. In this I of 

 course succeeded. I was not aware till afterwards that my 

 friends, Mr Hunter and Mr Rodie, both merchants, knowing that 

 I was to be in Glasgow by an early coach, had come to Argyle 

 Street to wait for me, and that Mr Hunter had a nice hot break- 

 fast prepared for me. I did not know this till told of it on my 

 return. But such acts of remembrance and kindness are most 

 endearing, and gild the wheels of life. The reciprocation of 

 kind human feeling throws a charm over .society, and more than 

 counterbalances any little evils that may beset us. This life is 

 unspeakably valuable and happy if we would but be true to 

 ourselves and not place thorns where otherwise roses might grow. 

 Nine-tenths of the infelicity in the world is of our own making — 

 of human not of divine origin. 



We lifted anchor and began to drop down the river at half- 

 past twelve o'clock. The number of passengers was about fifty, 

 exclusive of those in the steerage, who might be about thirty. 

 Owing to very keen competition the fare was only seven shillings, 

 including the steward's fees. When I formerly made the voyage 



