206 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. IV. 



cane by way of preparing myself gradually for the solemn grasp 

 of the gold-headed wand, and I find it very useful. On the 

 first of August, chosen doubtless because the slaves were set 

 free then, I shall be liberated from bondage, and along with 

 some hundred more fledglings, for ever resign the dubious title 

 of medical student, for the dignified one of doctor." 



To a young sister he says 



" You will have by this time sufficiently gone over the novel- 

 ties of Paisley, to feel anxious to hear from home, and as 1 

 faithfully promised, I am here faithfully fulfilling my promise 

 of writing you. You tell in your very welcome letter that you 

 dig assiduously in the garden : well, Jessie, dig diligently, you 

 may chance to alight on some hidden treasure, some ancient 

 clay vase full of gold coins, and ancient utensils, and moulder- 

 ing bones, such as we saw in the Antiquarian Museum. Or 

 you may only disinherit a mole of his paternal estate, and oblige 

 him to emigrate to some Australia, some less crowded and 

 more genial country ; or you may interrupt a pleasant party of 

 earthworms, invited to feast on a cabbage stock or a turnip 

 root ; or break in on the festivities of a nation of ants, cele- 

 brating the birthday of their patriarch, whose name will pro- 

 bably be Antipater (you see I write you as a learned lady). 

 Anyhow, by digging, you will find a treasure, which will be of 

 more value to yourself, and be more highly thought of by all of 

 us, than if you stumbled on the seal of old King Solomon which 

 would give you power over all the genii, and turn the wonders 

 of Aladdin's wonderful lamp into baby rhymes. By digging, 

 you will get what we doctors are said not to like in others, a 

 stock of robust health, which will carry you through the French 

 lessons, and piano playings, and worsted work, of the succeeding 

 winter, and perhaps add a whole year to your existence, by 

 strengthening your bones, and nerves, and muscles. Remember 

 then, my dear Jessie, there's to be no sewing of ladies' fooleries, 

 no showing to strangers of new purse stitches, or novel patterns 

 for footstool covers ; but plenty out- door work, walking and 

 sunning and working, delving and digging, hoeing and spading ; 

 in short, you must just take and merit the title of one of the 



