142 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



whose countenance might have been professionally useful 

 to you. As a man of feeling I am infinitely more 

 rejoiced at the expressions of personal attachment which 

 it contains. 



' Believe me, my clear Cleghorn, ever most sincerely 

 your friend, 



MAMES D. FORBES.' 



To H. G. GUMMING, ESQ. 



' EDINBURGH, November 22nd, 1840. 



' I was very much gratified by your letter of the 

 27th October, and now that a month has nearly elapsed 

 I should like much to hear more particularly what you 

 are doing. I have not very precise notions of what a 

 broker's business is, and I will thank you to enlighten 

 me. I am given to understand, however, that it does 

 not very materially differ from a merchant's as far as 

 learning the profession goes, and therefore I hope that 

 even if you should be unable to make up your mind 

 entirely to like it you will yet be able to bear with it. 

 There are two very good grounds on which you may be 

 encouraged to do so : first, that things the dullest and 

 most repulsive, steadily pursued, gradually and insensibly, 

 and in spite of one's self, become interesting in a certain 

 way, chiefly from the satisfaction which always attaches 

 to a sense of steady effort to do right ; and secondly, from 

 the consideration of alternatives, namely, that in this 

 world a majority of people are compelled to find happi- 

 ness as they best may, in doing what they cannot alto- 

 gether help, and in choosing what appears in prospect 

 the lesser of the two evils, though it may ultimately turn 

 out a very real good ; whilst on the other hand the few 

 who really get their own way and have all externals and 

 full luxury of choice for procuring happiness, may much 

 oftener fail in doing so than those for whom some inevi- 

 table destiny or strong motive has chalked out their 

 course of life. I am not writing from theory, but from 

 very real observation, which I could substantiate by 

 instances of A, B, and C. . . . 



