1837 -38. BUSY FROM 9 A.M. TILL 12 P.M. 151 



One has not been quite finished ; the figures, he says, are stiff, 

 but the faces very beautifully painted, and said to be all por- 

 traits. In Sir Charles Bell's house, too, he saw some curious 

 paintings. This certainly is the pursuit of knowledge under 

 difficulties." . . . 



To Miss MACKAY. 



" July 21. 



" I daresay you have thought the old Scotch proverb, ' Out o' 

 sight out o' mind/ completely verified in your case, seeing my 

 promise to write a second time has never been fulfilled, and no 

 reason for silence given. I can only say in excuse that if I have 

 not written you, it has not been because I have been writing 

 others, for except to Daniel, I have written but one letter 

 (No. 2) since I left you, and if I have thought by chance for a 

 few minutes of ladies, as ladies, you have had a very large 

 share of those very rare thoughts. In truth, I am at present 

 from 9 A.M. till 12 P.M. completely occupied ; one half of the day 

 with Dispensary duties, the other half with chemical and lite- 

 rary labours. It is not, however, the actual occupation of time 

 that has stopped my pen ; but the mood of mind engendered by 

 chemical speculations excludes almost wholly other thoughts. 

 I am devising, suggesting, experimenting, breaking glass vessels, 

 and melting, and fusing, and evaporating ; and when I am doing 

 so, and I am thoroughly possessed with the idea, I don't care for 

 anything else. 



" I am no longer able to afford myself the hour's walk at three 

 o'clock, which I spent in traversing Princes Street, and walking 

 out into the country. I never see ladies now, therefore, even 

 on the street, except when hurrying home from Dispensary or 

 Laboratory, and so I am more and more every day losing any 

 opportunities (few at best) of gratifying the passion for seeing 

 pretty faces ; though now, often hurried as my glimpses are, I 

 see some forms and countenances I cannot easily forget. I saw 

 the lady that's like you to-day, with her lame and very interest- 

 ing looking friend; I have seen neither for a long time. I 

 looked on them as friends and felt quite pleased, for I had 

 been looking in all quarters for them in vain, for some time. I 



