A Journey to London in 1840. i;39 



me kindly — introduced me to his young wife, a clever, lively, 

 and interesting lady — and insisted on me drinking tea with them, 

 which I willingly agreed to do. After parting with the Doctor 

 I went to pay my respects to my old friend, John Thomson, son 

 of the late and brother of the present minister of Rerrick, who, 

 having been disappointed in getting a church in Scotland, follows 

 the profession of teacher, and has been established in that 

 capacity in Liverpool for 15 years. He has encountered many 

 difficulties, but has managed to rear a large family, and he is 

 now as comfortable in his circumstances as he ever was, if not 

 more so. His eldest daughter Barbara and, I think, one or two 

 oT her sisters, are also employed in tuition, and as they all live 

 together their aggregate income must be considerable. Mr 

 Thomson has still at the age of 55 all the frivolity and animation 

 of youth. I spent an hour or two most happily with him and his 

 family, and we talked almost exclusively of former days and of 

 old friends. I asked him to accompany me to Mr Hodgson's to 

 supper, which he readily consented to do. On our way we called 

 on Dr Alexander Hannay, physician, an old Galloway friend of 

 mine, but did not find him at home. We had a pleasant crack at 

 Hodgson's, but Thomson displayed his characteristic turn for 

 Toryism and debate. The whole family of the Thomsons, most 

 excellent people notwithstanding, are all of a combative and 

 debating turn, splitting hairs and chopping logic on all subjects 

 however trifling with exemplary gravity and formality. They 

 Avere so distinguished at college and time seems to render the prac- 

 tice with them more inveterate. Mr Thomson saw me home to 

 the hotel and drank at least another tumbler with me there. 



Next morning I rose about seven, sauntered for a short time 

 about the street, and on coming in wrote a letter to my wife, as 

 long and minute as time would allow me to make it. After 

 breakfast, which was splendid, and which I relished exceedingly, I 

 paid my bill and left so as to start by the Grand Junction Railroad 

 for Birmingham at 10.30 o'clock. I took my place in the first- 

 class train, as it is called, and we started from the entrance to the 

 tunnel at the Hay Market at the hour specified. The number of 

 passengers was about 100, producing about £90, the fares being 

 iJl Is for the first-class, and 17s for the second-class trains. We 

 arrived at Birmingham, a distance of 97| miles, exactly at three 

 o'clock, or in 4^ hours; being as nearly as possible at the rate of 



