20 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



most extraordinary voices indeed, every one hoarser than another, 

 till at last, walking home with a fair cousin, there was nothing left 

 for it but a tender glance of the eye — a tender pressure of the hand 

 — for cousins are not altogether sisters, and although partaking of 

 that dearest character, possess, it may be, some peculiar and appro- 

 priate charms of their own ; as didst thou, Emily the ' Wild-cap !' ' 



" 1st of January, 1801. — Union with Ireland celebrated; Castle 

 guns fired ; no illumination. Called on Mr. Sym (Timothy Tickler 

 of later date). 



" 2d of January. — Ball at our house ; danced with the Misses 

 M'Donald, Corbett, Fairfax, Chartres, Balfour, Brown, Lundie, 

 Millar, Young." 



Not too long is he to be absent from work. On the 4th of Janu- 

 ary the gayeties of home are left, and he takes a seat in the " Tele- 

 graph." 



"Left Edinburgh at seven in the morning; arrived in Glasgow 

 safe, and dined with my grandmother." 



Items of travelling expenses make a curious comparison between 

 the past and present cost for a similar journey : — 



"For a seat in the 'Telegraph,' £l Is. 



" For the driver and guard of ' Telegraph,' 4s. 



"For breakfast and waiter, Is. 6d." 



With his grandmother he was a great favorite. This lady, Mrs. 

 Sym, lived to a good old age, as did also her husband ; he being 

 above ninety when he died. The old gentleman had considerable 

 character, and not a little caustic humor ; a quality that may be said 

 to have pervaded the Sym family. A story is told of his having 

 sent a note to his wine-merchant on receipt of a jar of rum, which he 

 fancied had had more than the ordinary dilution, begging him to be 

 so obliging, on his next order, as to send the water in one jar and 

 the rum in another. His wife was a gentle, kind woman, and very 

 attractive to young people, to whom she was ever ready to show 

 attention and hospitality. She was very handsome in her youth, 

 " stateliest among the stately," as Wilson has called her. In one of 

 her daughter's letters, written five-and-thirty years later, there is a 

 reminiscence of these early days: — 



" Occasionally you and some other boys getting a Saturday's din- 

 ner, a good four-hours, and being dismissed with — 'Now, you will 

 go all away; you have gotten all your dues ; and, besides, Pm weary 



