Letter-writing Hospitality. 307 



parliament expressed his wonder that his right 

 reverend brethren should find their correspondence 

 burdensome, a thing, he said, quite contrary to his 

 own experience and, he believed, unnecessary in 

 theirs ; but he forgot, or omitted to explain, that he 

 himself had begun by never answering letters, and 

 had thus ended by never receiving any. 



One may safely say that it never entered Robert^ 

 son's head to adopt this simple expedient for cooling 

 the warmth of friendship which his character and 

 hospitality were sure to kindle in all who became 

 intimate with the one or had the opportunity of 

 enjoying the other. 



That advancing years in no way chilled the genial 

 glow of kindness with which he made his friends 

 welcome at Millport may be shown by a few sentences 

 taken almost at random from letters at a date later 

 than that which this chapter has reached. Thus Mr. 

 Joseph Wright, of Belfast, himself a specialist in regard 

 to the foraminifera, in writing to him says, "When 

 I look over my album it is pleasant to see the faces 

 of those under whose hospitable roof I spent such an 

 enjoyable time." On May 17, 1880, Mr, Sladen says, 

 " I am always looking forward to the fates letting us 

 meet again before long, as one of the pleasures of 

 life." The Rev. Thomas Wiltshire writes, on Sep- 

 tember 22, 1 88 1, "Those expeditions in Millport 

 Bay, and your kind hospitality, will remain for many 

 a day amongst the pleasant recollections of the year 

 1881;" and again on January 13, 1882, "We 

 shall always remember and think over those very 

 pleasant and happy days we spent with her (Mrs. 



