in.] COLLEGE COURSE, 1829. 47 



the relation of bodies to heat a very fertile subject ; in 

 A\ hich he perfectly agreed, and commended the idea. I 

 said that experiments took more time than writing. He 

 agreed with me, but snid that nothing could be more 

 delightful than the prosecution of successful ones/ 



This conversation contains the first hint that young 

 Forbes's thoughts were already travelling towards that 

 subject to which he afterwards gave so much attention 

 and with such good results. 



Thus it was that the intercourse begun by anonymous 



correspondence, and maintained so honourably to both 



s for several years, at last passed into personal 



luintance. And the acquaintance was by this visit 



to Allerly cemented into a friendship which stood the 



tin of severe trials, and lasted as long as life. 



But this friendship, though interesting in itself, and 



helpful to his scientific pursuits, could not make him feel 



acutely the change which the last year had brought 



to him and his family. Though the brothers and sisters 



clung to each other and to their domestic life with the 



ity that belonged to their race, every one of them felt 



that when the head of the house had been removed, an 



irreparable change had come. The thought was now 



forced on them that the family home must soon be 



ken up, that they must soon quit the old house at 



('"linton, endeared to them by all the recollections of 



childhood and boyhood. He says that 'the idea of 



this endeared spot was like a dagger near his 



rt.' And though for a while some of them might 



together and make a family home, yet it never could 



with them as it was before. For each one had become 



own master, and must regulate his movements more 



less on his own responsibility, without that advice 



and guidance on which they had hitherto in common 



th<-se thini!- more than the youngest and 

 urite son. Tl in any allusions to it in his 



during this |.-riod. Thus he \vrile.-, in 

 gn-< : 



