1 843-44. LABORATORY WORK. 165 



myself, are conjointly working at the repetition of his ex- 

 periments. ... It is a period of great anxiety to us all, 

 convinced as we are that nothing but the fullest confirmation 

 of his views will obtain for him the chair. .... Pray for 

 us, my dear friend, that we may be kept from falling. You 

 comfort me greatly by the thought that you pray for me. 

 I am calm, contented, and cheerful, labouring with a peace 



I never knew before " To a sister he writes about 



the same time : " I am better, not yet able to use my leg 

 again, but very busy^ I compose a great many rhymes to 

 keep us in good humour down stairs. These you shall be 

 favoured with when you come ; they are not carriageable 

 articles. I have got Jamaica soils to analyse at present, and 

 I am seeking for pounded missionaries, and crystallized tears 

 of emancipation-seeking negroes. I have found some of the 

 latter, very like chucky stones." 



"January^, 1844. 



"I was at church yesterday, and heard a very pleasant 

 sermon. Had it been bad, even very bad, I should have been 

 thankful, but it was the very opposite. We have got James 

 safely among us, and I hope he will improve on our hands. 

 For improvement there is great need, as he is wofully thin 

 and pale, and sorely depressed in spirit, but I look hopefully 

 to his stay with us as likely to be of good service to him. 



" I am on the whole well, and having at last got my shoe, 

 am limping about with a couple of sticks. I hobble pain- 

 fully along in an awkward way, the shoe being far from com- 

 fortable ; but as I never indulged extravagant expectations 

 of its gracefulness, I am quite content when I compare my 

 present condition with that of my previous one, mounted on 

 the uncomfortable crutches. In truth, my dear Jessie, if we 

 could learn contentment, we should find it a greater acqui 

 sition than happiness, or beauty, or -wisdom, or wealth. . . 



