200 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. IV. 



bed, and when I looked, sir, my sister (that was dead and gane) 

 was sitting up in her coffin looking about her. Aweel, sir, she 

 got out o' her coffin, and earn ower the bedside, and went to the 

 tapmost lang drawer, and took out a cambric pocket napkin, 

 and wiped her nose, and then she went and put it in the bag for 

 the dirty claes that hung upon a nail in a corner. And after 

 that, sir, she climbed into the bed, and got into her coffin, and 

 straighted hersel' in it, and pu'd the lid ower her, and laid down 

 quietly. Weel, you see, I was in an unco fright, and I ran and 

 got the undertaker, tell't him what had happened, and asked 

 him what was to be done. And he says to me, " We'll no let 

 her rise up for that again ; " so he asked me for a white cambric 

 pocket napkin, and he pit it in the coffin and nailed down the 

 lid. Weel, Sir, when I was sitting next night at the fireside, 

 didn't I hear my sister that was dead (honest woman), Hawing 

 her nose in the coffin ! ' That is the most extraordinary story I 

 have heard for this long time, and long and loud I laughed 

 when I heard it. It is gravely related and believed by the old 

 woman, whose mind was probably overthrown by the death of 

 a beloved sister. 



"For myself (for I must have a little egotism), the Philoso- 

 phical Association gives no lectures of any kind next winter, so 

 my offer could not be accepted. I have promised, in the mean- 

 while, to assist Skae in the chemical part of his Medical Juris - 

 prudence Lectures, and Jameson, I hear, wants an assistant for 

 his journal." 



The much dreaded ordeal in anticipation being safely passed, 

 George announces the fact, with particulars, to several members 

 of the family absent from home : 



" MY DEAR DANIEL, I shall never more, rightly or wrongly, 

 divide with you the title of Mr., for I am noiv a physician (three 

 cheers and a hurrah !) having passed the dreaded inquisition 

 yesterday, so that I am not twenty-four hours old at the time I 

 write you. I did not intend or expect to go up to Physicians' 

 Hall for two weeks yet, and had made almost no preparation, 

 having been writing my Thesis, and writing letters and making 



