1859- LAST DAY IN TOWN. 357 



ness, desirous of obtaining information to go by that day's 

 post to his brother in Canada, in the postscript to his 

 letter. Afterwards it transpired that he had felt pain in his 

 side that morning. It was a busy day in town. After the 

 first lecture to his class, new pupils came to be enrolled, 

 many visitors called, and he was compelled to converse 

 much. Closing his Canadian letter, he says, " I have been 

 at work all day." Not having ascertained all that was 

 desirable, he promises to give the result of further inquiry 

 by next post. 



The second lecture was delivered with great difficulty, 

 and with an apology to his students for sitting while 

 addressing them. 



On his return home, between four and five o'clock, his 

 sister was startled by his appearance. Why, she could 

 scarcely tell, but a nameless dread of impending danger 

 fell heavily on her heart. This was not diminished by his 

 saying, in a low and constrained voice, " I'll just creep up 

 stairs." After sitting for half-an-hour on a low chair in the 

 drawing-room, with an air of great prostration, and not 

 saying a word, he was with difficulty helped into bed. The 

 pain in his side was treated as pleurodyne, from which he 

 had frequently suffered ; but next day his medical attendant, 

 Dr. J. Matthews Duncan, being apprised of his illness, 

 came, and announced that inflammation of the lungs and 

 pleurisy were both present. 



Now then had come the time to which he had so long 

 looked forward. Many talk lightly of death, as if to the Chris- 

 tian it has no terrors. Not so did he, and few have so often 

 been on the verge of the grave and come back to speak of 

 it. In 1847, ne wrote to a friend in failing health : " I am 

 persuaded, from what I have experienced, that the world 

 fills but a small space in the thoughts of one near to death. 



