4 1 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. IT. 



heinous offence of making ' balls of snow/ the effect was instaii-- 

 taneous, and for two or three minutes the laughter and ruffing 

 that succeeded drowned the conclusion of the dire anathema," 



"EDINBURGH, 30th January 18?5. 



" I daresay by this time you are beginning to think I 

 have quite forgotten you, or had too much of your company 

 lately to care about writing you speedily. It is want of time 

 alone that has prevented me this week ; the lectures have 

 been on particularly difficult subjects, their study has been 

 more so, and I have been kept later at the Infirmary too. 

 This may account for this week's dilatoriness ; and for my 

 remissness in the last week, let me tell you I fairly intended to 

 write you last Friday or Saturday, when a train of circumstances 

 occurred to prevent me fulfilling my intentions. I was sitting 

 on Friday in my studio, my brother had just gone to bed (it was 

 about one o'clock), and, thinking what I should say to you, I 

 had shut my medical books, and was looking over a volume of 

 Wordsworth, when my cousin came to tell me that the Eegister 

 Office was on fire. I soon reached a room commanding a view 

 of this house, which appeared in full relief against the bright 

 and lurid sky. I roused my brother, and ' in slippers' we de- 

 parted to ascertain the truth of the report. It was not the 

 Register Office, but the New Buildings, North Bridge. It was 

 a glorious scene ; but the cold weather forced us home again for 

 more substantial clothing, and we returned prepared for passing 

 the night on the crowded street. I had never seen a large fire 

 before, and I gazed on the sublime and awful scene with feelings 

 I never experienced before. My first feelings were those of 

 great mental agitation. I quivered like an aspen leaf, nor could 

 I raise the glass to my eye. These feelings were wholly invo- 

 luntary. It was not fear. I was determined to wait the whole 

 night if the fire continued, and ready to run almost any risk to 

 see its progress and conclusion. These feelings gradually les - 

 sened, and were succeeded by sensations of intense horror for fire ; 

 every other accident we are liable to shrank in my estimation, 

 and a vivid picture of all the horrible attendants on this dread- 

 ful and devastating element passed in quick succession before 



