AVD MODERN PHYSICS. 51 



Faraday's book being tho backbone of everything, " as 

 ho himself is the nucleus of everything electric 

 since 1830." 



In February, 1858, ho announced his engagement 

 to Katherinu Mary l)ewar, tho daughter of tho 

 Principal of Marischal College. 



4% Dear Aunt*' (ho si>V February 18th, 1858), " thin comes 

 to tell you that I am going to have a wife. 



" Don't be afraid ; she is not mathematical, but there are 

 other things besides that, and she certainly won't stop mathe- 

 nntic.s. The only one that can speak as an eye-witness is 

 Johnnie, and ho only saw her when wo were both trying to act 

 tho indifferent. Wo have been trying it since, but it would 

 not do, and it was not good for either." 



Tho wedding took place early in Juno. Professor 

 Campbell has preserved soiuo of the letters written 

 by Maxwell to Miss Dewar, and these contain "tho 

 record of feelings which in the years that followed 

 were transfused in Action and embodied in a married 

 life which can only be spoken of as one of unexampled 

 devotion." 



Tho project for the fusion of the two Colleges, 

 to which reference has been made, went on, and tho 

 scheme was completed in 18GO. 



The two Colleges were united to form the Uni- 

 versity of Aberdeen, and the new chair of Natural 

 Philosophy thus created was filled by the appointment 

 of David Thomson, Professor of Natural Philosophy 

 in King's College, and Maxwell's senior. Mr. W. P. 

 Niven, in his preface to Maxwell's works, when 

 dealing with this appointment, writes: 



* "Life of J. C. Maxwell," p. 303. 

 D2 



