CHAP. XL] LETTERS FROM GLENLAIR. 



341 



To C. H. CAY, Esq. 



Glenlair, 5ih January 1865. 



We are sorry to hear you cannot come and see us, but 

 you seem better by your letter, and I hope you will be able for 

 your travels, and be better able for your work afterwards, and 

 not take it too severely, and avoid merimnosity and taking over 

 too much thought, which greatly diminishes the efficiency of 

 young teachers. We have been here since 22d ult, and are 

 in the process of dining the valley in appropriate batches. 

 We have had very rough weather this week, which, com- 

 bined with the dining, has prevented our usual airings. The 

 ordinary outing is to the Brig of Urr, Katherine on Charlie 

 and I on Darling. Charlie has got a fine band on his fore- 

 head, with his name in blue and white beads. 



The Manse of Corsock is now finished ; it is near the 

 river, not far from the deep pool where we used to bathe. 



I set Prof. W. Thomson a prop, which I had been 

 working with for a long time. He sent me 18 pages of 

 letter of suggestions about it, none of which would work ; but 

 on Jan 3, in the railway from Largs, he got the way to it, 

 which is all right; so we are jolly, having stormed the 

 citadel, when we only hoped to sap it by approximations. 



The prop, was to draw a set of lines like this 



so that the ultimate reticulations shall all be squares. 



The solution is exact, but rather stiff. Now I have a 



c 



