8 SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY 



she, with that optimism and independence of character 

 that were afterwards to appear in her son, declined all 

 offers of help, and she too found a situation in the 

 family of Mr. Allan Buchanan of Glasgow, whose wife 

 was a Miss Crombie, a niece of old Mrs. Ramsay. Allan 

 Buchanan was the second son of George Buchanan, a 

 Glasgow worthy of the end of the eighteenth century. 

 His works were the first in Glasgow to employ steam 

 power. Three of his sons were partners. The old man, 

 to distinguish him from the many other Georges of the 

 Buchanan family, was known as " Bonny Geordie," 

 and a large share of his good looks seems to have gone 

 into the family of his son Allan, as they were a strikingly 

 handsome set of young people. 



It was into this family that Miss Robertson came, at 

 the age of eighteen, as governess, and as it turned out 

 lifelong friend. Not only was she much beloved by 

 her charges, but also by their cousins, a large flock of 

 young Buchanans, and with them all ties were formed 

 that lasted till the end. It was a daughter of one of 

 these cousins (George the son of William Buchanan, 

 Allan's eldest brother), who, fifty years after, became the 

 wife of her son. 



Miss Robertson was at this time a tall slight, attrac- 

 tive girl, with the side curls and sloping shoulders of 

 the period, but even at that age of a very strong char- 

 acter and clearly defined views. She was not much 

 older than the eldest of her young charges, but from 

 the first made her influence felt. One is tempted to 



