lofi A Journey to London in 1840. 



fellow's phiz again. He was smelling like a brock. I thought 

 there was nothing in him." On the da}' appointed, with steps 

 feeble and slow, Cauvin appeared with his MSS. Says 

 M'Cull<:)i;h, " Return to-morrow and I shall give you my opinion." 

 M'CuUoch read the two compositions, and was struck with the 

 learning, good taste, and al)ility with which they were written. 

 Indeed, he was quite delighted, and saw at once that his new and 

 interesting acquaintance was worthy e\-en of higher testimonials 

 than had been given to him in Edinburgh. I'oor Cauvin's fate 

 mav be said to ha\-e been in the balance, and, of course, we may 

 easilv imagine how anxious he must have been till he heard 

 M'Culloch's opinion. He returned next day as requested, trem- 

 bling, we mav believe, like an aspen leaf, and how great must 

 have been his joy when M'Culloch received him with studied kind- 

 ness and loaded him with praises. He gave him a letter of intro- 

 duction to the Messrs Longman. These enterjjrising gentlemen, 

 on Mr M'("ulloch\s suggestion, settled on him a fixed salary and 

 constituted him the virtual, not the nominal, editor of the 

 Diciinnarv in question. But M'Culloch is a plain, blunt man and 

 knows propriety well, so, before he allowed Cauvin to go to Pater- 

 noster Row, he told him to go first to a hairdresser and have his 

 head (sic) put in order, and to ;a tailor to get a suit of new and 

 Hishionable clothes. "You are," said he, " bar bare with these 

 habiliments and that Gorgon head of hair. Don't appear here 

 again until vou have undergone a thorough transmutation." 

 Cauvin was too sensible not to do as directed, and he has ever 

 since dresseil in the most J)ecoming manner. 1 need merely fur- 

 ther mention that he has every day since his introduction risen in 

 the favour and esteem of Mr M'Culloch and of the Longmans ; 

 and that, if health be gi\-en him, he is sure of rising to great 

 literarv eminence. The whole family of the M'Cullochs are much 

 attached to him ; indeed, it was supposed at one time that he was 

 attarhed to one of the young ladies. Tliis sujiposition was so<in 

 shown to be unfounded, for in less than a year after his arrival in 

 London he set out for (iottingen and brought o\er with him as his 

 wife a \oung ladv to whom he had been pledged for two or three 

 vears. A daughter is the fruit of that marriage. 



I ha\'e alreadv mentioned that his health is frail and that his 

 bodv is thin. His lungs are quite sound, but he lacks .stamina. 

 Besides, owing to his great simplicity of character, he is always 



