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



' 3, PARK PLACE, October 12th, 1854. 



'. . . He Dr. Symonds is a paan such as few are. 

 You can have no idea, for it astonished myself when I 

 learnt it, of the warmth and depth of his feeling for me 

 and for Alicia and the children, knowing how doctors are 

 circumstanced, and how used-up their feelings are. I 

 never credited it till he left me no room for doubt, which 

 was not till his professional relation to me was drawing 

 to a close. I feel to Dr. Symonds as to very few indeed 

 besides, and I scarcely expected to form such another 

 friendship in this world/ 



During the two sessions of his absence, the work of 

 his class had been conducted by his faithful colleague 

 and friend, Professor Kelland, with the aid of a younger 

 assistant. When November 1854 brought the opening 

 of another session, Forbes was once more in his place. 

 He was generally able to lecture three days a week, 

 being assisted on the other days by Mr. James Sirne, 

 and he ' found the fatigue much less than he expected, 

 and no injury from it, verifying Dr. Symonds' opinion 

 and justifying his excellent advice/ 



To E. C. BATTEN, ESQ. 



' 3, PARK PLACE, December 10th, 1854. 



* ... I am very thankful to tell you that things 

 are going on well with us. . . . I am surprised how 

 well I get through my lectures. But the difficulty I 

 at present have is with people coming to see me after, 

 and being kept conversing an hour longer. ... I 

 am sometimes exhausted for that day, and even the 

 next. . . . Alicia is so much better than she has been 

 for long, that it is a matter of great ease and thank- 

 fulness to me ; and the dear children are all so well. 

 So our minds, by God's mercy, rest calm after a long 

 time of tossing. How long it may last we feel to be 

 in His fatherly hands/ 



