394 THE JOURNEYMAN. 



tedious days. He spoke, too, of the solitude of suffering, 

 a solitude complete and unbroken even in the midst 

 of society ; of the gloom which to the sufferer seems to 

 hang over all the present, and which deepens into thick 

 darkness as he looks towards the future. And where, 

 he asked, shall we look in such circumstances for comfort? 

 Where but to Him who is thoroughly acquainted with 

 our frame, acquainted with it, not only as God the 

 Creator of it, but also as man the inhabitant of it ; not 

 only as Him who can look into all our sufferings, but as 

 Him who entered into them all ; Him of the lacerated 

 hands and feet and the pierced side, whose forehead 

 was cinctured with thorns, and over whose back the 

 ploughers have driven long furrows. Mr Stewart's recent 

 experience has not been without its use to him, his 

 sufferings have taught him the language of consolation. 



1 Accept my warmest thanks for your kind, generous 

 offer. It would prove a poor return for your goodness, 

 were I to chide you for what ought so thoroughly to 

 awaken my gratitude. Believe, if I do not avail myself 

 of what you so frankly tender me, it is out of no proud 

 or improper feeling/ 



Mrs Grant of Laggan suggested about this time to her 

 friend, Miss Dunbar, with a view to Miller's advancement 

 in life, that he might do the ' blocking work ' for a young 

 sculptor ' likely to rise to eminence.' Mrs Grant referred 

 to ' Allan Cunningham's success in doing the blocking 

 work for Chantrey,' by way of illustrating the promotion 

 intended for Miller. On this Miss Dunbar wrote to 

 Hugh : ' I could not well take it on me to reply to what 

 she suggests without a reference to yourself, though I dare 

 say I anticipate your answer, and so I write. Pardon 

 the terms she uses as applicable to you, and believe me, 

 that neither in speaking nor writing of you have I ex- 



