228 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



beam of pleasurable influence that attended your 

 presence during your stay at Cumbrae. Had any 

 intimate friend of yours at Jena come here and told 

 us all you have said in your letter and more, it would 

 have interested us much, but would have wanted the 

 charm your own dictation has, wanted the pattern of 

 your own pointed thoughts and expressions, which 

 call up a duplicate image of yourself and doings, 

 which makes us feel a nearness to your presence that 

 no third party could impart. 



" We had been wondering many a time if you had 

 got the little cup. We thought it possible that it 

 might be carried away amongst the packing paper 

 unobserved. It was put in at the time you were 

 packing your books. You had gone upstairs for 

 something to tie on them, when Mrs. Robertson said, 

 ' What can I put in his box ? ' She spied the little 

 cup. It suited the fancy. The next minute it was 

 ensconced in your box, but barely a moment before 

 your arrival. She had difficulty to disguise her 

 emotions that she had played you a trick. 



"We are all glad to hear of your progress. The 

 course you have laid down to be followed gives the 

 fullest trust of successful results, that is, to take 

 nothing for granted, to examine everything for oneself. 

 At the first glance that may appear circuitous and 

 tedious, but it must prove the safest and in the end 

 the shortest way, when substantial trustworthiness is 

 taken into account. 



" I am glad to hear of Spence Bate's kindly feelings 

 towards you. ... I intended to have been at Edin- 

 burgh before the winter set in, to try and find Cuma 



