102 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAT 1 . III. 



proves to be an attack of smallpox, which is prevalent in Edin- 

 burgh just now. Her case, however, is quite rnild ; . . . and 

 she is the contented, uncomplaining occupant of the sick-bed 

 which you could foretell. . . . Mother is,* of course, anxious, 

 but does not anticipate any but a mild attack. For my own 

 part I never saw a milder, and Mr. Lizars is equally convinced 

 of its non-severity ; so that we are not distressed by anxious 

 fears, but patiently wait for the disease running its course. I 

 have taken the earliest opportunity of letting you know the 

 particulars, lest any exaggerated rumours reach you ; . . . but 

 you will remain satisfied, I am sure, with what I have written, 

 which is the whole truth, and we shall write you from time to 

 time of the progress of recovery. Meanwhile, pray God for 

 her speedy recovery to complete health : it is all, my dear 

 brother, that you or I can do, and we know too much of the 

 Christian dispensation to stop at the consideration or applica- 

 tion of mere secondary causes or means, or to doubt the efficacy 

 of prayer. 



" All the rest of us are quite well, and get on very comfort- 

 ably in all respects, forming a household somewhat diminished 

 in size, but knitted closely together. Mother says I don't write 

 you proper letters, that instead of stuffing them full of nonsense 

 I should tell you about the family's doings ; but, besides that 

 I was never a very enthusiastic watcher or recorder of family 

 incidents, and in addition conceived them, like ginger-beer or 

 Seltzer water, apt to lose all their spirit by travel, I thought I 

 should be most likely to please you in my epistles if I just 

 wrote to you what I would have chatted to you had you been 

 sitting over your work, and I at my window with book in hand, 

 surrounded by my bottles and tubes, ' the gods of my idolatry,' 

 with the exception of snatches of songs, which are as untrans- 

 portable as the articles mentioned above ; though, by the by, 

 I may say I'm making considerable advances both in singing 

 and whistling, as well in compass of voice as in number and 

 variety of tunes. I have seriously begun the piano, and I am 

 told I finger the scale in a very promising fashion ; to all of 

 which profitable occupations of time I am greatly cheered by 

 the hope of amusing you when I have the happiness of visiting 



