370 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. XII. 



Requests from the magistrates, and the representatives of 

 public bodies, that his funeral should be a public one, at 

 which they might be present, continued to pour in during 

 the week subsequent to his death. Amongst such proposals 

 the most touching and gratifying was a letter from "An 

 Artisan," in a newspaper, suggesting that every working-man 

 in the city should follow the remains to their last resting- 

 place. These requests for publicity could not be put aside, 

 though it was felt that privacy would have been more in 

 accordance with his retiring modesty of character. The 

 torrent of love, however, carried all before it, and on 

 Monday, the 28th November, the interment took place. 

 A bright sunny day it was, as if for once that gloomy month 

 cast off her despondency, in acknowledgment of the truth, 

 " Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright 

 in heart," and as if the influence of the bright and sunny 

 spirit still lingered to shed a parting radiance when the body 

 was laid to rest in hope. 



The company of personal friends assembled at Elm 

 Cottage joined in a short religious service before leaving 

 the house; Dr. Alexander presiding over one group, and 

 Dr. Cairns over another. We now conversant with his 

 life can imagine why the latter chose the i5th chapter of 

 ist Corinthians, and can understand what tender memories 

 crowded on him, making the voice tremulous with suppressed 

 emotion while reading it. A prayer followed, and then the 

 carriages with private mourners passed slowly into town. 



On the long line of streets through which the cortege 

 denied, the shops were closed, and "business suspended 

 for a time in other parts of the city : multitudes of both 

 sexes crowded the way; and as the hearse moved along, 

 many tears were shed, and the crowd looked on with bated 

 breath, and even the rude and thoughtless uncovered their 



