36 Mary Somerville. 



fire." Of its doing so there was every probability 

 because casks of turpentine and oil were exploding 

 from time to time in a carriage manufactory at the 

 back of it. Several gentlemen of our acquaintance 

 who came to assist us were surprised to find us 

 breakfasting quietly as if there were nothing unusual 

 going on. In fact my mother, though a coward in 

 many things, had, like most women, the presence of 

 mind and the courage of necessity. The fire was 

 extinguished, and we had only the four men to pay 

 for doing nothing, nor did we sacrifice any of our 

 property like our neighbours who had completely 

 lost their heads from terror. I may mention 

 here that on one occasion when my father was at 

 home he had been ill with a severe cold, and wore 

 his nightcap. While reading in the drawing-room 

 one evening he called out, " I smell fire, there is no 

 time to be lost," so, batching up a candle, he 

 wandered from room to room followed by us all still 

 smelling fire, when one of the servants said, " 0, sir, 

 it is the tassel of your nightcap that is on fire." 



On returning to Burntisland, I spent four or five 

 hours daily at the piano ; and for the sake of having 

 something to do, I taught myself Latin enough, 

 from such books as we had, to read Caesar's " Com- 



