10G MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. III. 



other may point to a chemist's. In addition, generous Mr. Bobbie 

 has given me a dog's skull to match the leopard's, a cast of the 

 sheep and bull's head from Trajan's column, and two heads from 

 the same, so that when they are hung, one on either side of the 

 cattle, my two pictures farther out, my skulls, and two or three 

 busts, on the mantelpiece, interspersed among crystals and alche- 

 mical-looking bottles, in a mission for the obtaining of which, I 

 am about to set off to the Cowgate, I shall boast of having a 

 unique room for my study. I have another object in making it 

 neat. You know I proposed beginning a set of demonstrations 

 on chemistry this winter ; well, I did begin, though I got no 

 time to tell you, Jessie's illness permitting me only to give one, 

 which was attended by all the Misses L. and Mrs. L, Mr. L. 

 being prevented by necessitous calls on his attention. These, 

 added to the family, made a goodly audience, and I am promised 

 Miss Gibson and Miss Blackwood, not to mention others. I 

 created quite a sensation with my first prelection, Mrs. L. won- 

 dering if I would print it ! and with Mr. Macgillivray's assistance, 

 we made a splendid enough show of experiments, only a few of 

 the more trivial ones failing. B - took notes. Jessie's ill- 

 ness drove the idea out of my head. Now that she is fast reco- 

 vering, I shall begin to get my bottles in order anew, but a 

 gloom is cast over my chemical speculations, by the knowledge 

 of poor Samuel Brown's illness. I feel it in the light of a piece 

 of hard-heartedness, to be thinking of such matters when he is 

 lying ill ; but it would appear it is a nervous fever which very 

 rarely is fatal, so I augur the best. But to wait a whole fort- 

 night in restless suspense is a most torturing thing ; poor B 

 must feel it very deeply. I work some three hours with Dr. 

 Christison. I get on finely with him, and we are knowing each 

 other better every day ; I hope we shall soon be on the thorough 

 est footing. Have you seen or heard anything of Faraday ? 

 I have not seen the Misses L., or Mr. Scott, or in truth, any one, 

 since Jessie took ill. I have nothing new in the way of story 

 or intrigue to tell you, which is my only apology for the barren 

 character of this yepistle. 



"Jessie bids me tell you that she will soon be up and will 

 write you. She sends, carefully sealed, signed, and marked 



