1839-40. THE HORIZON BRIGHTENS. 233 



it to be a lady's, she drew back her hand with a scream. The 

 only explanation Miss - - can give is, that N had been 

 squeezing her hand, and that she was striving to return the 

 shake. From N" nothing can be got, but he confesses that 

 papa, fearing something, would not allow him to walk alone 

 with his daughter. . . . Let us take off our gossamers (I have 

 a four- and- sixpenny one) and hurrah for the 5th of December 

 and the fourpenny letters." 



On December 13th he says 



" I have not acknowledged the receipt of your kind and 

 most welcome fourpenny letter in the way I should have done ; 

 and I have but a sorry apology to make for myself. I 

 expected to have answered it long before this, but this whole 

 week my time has been taken up in the most unsatisfactory 

 way, so that I have little pleasure in looking back on it. I 

 went out to supper on Monday night, to meet an unfortunate I 

 could serve in some way; on Tuesday the Physical Society 

 took me away from home ; on Wednesday I refused an invita- 

 tion to tea, and prepared for study, was sitting down to read, 

 when in came Macgillivray. I had scarcely shown him the 

 courtesies of friendship, when there arrived a note asking me to 

 sup with the Presidents of the other Societies, at Mrs. Shaw's 

 house. Off I went sang King Cole (which is much admired 

 and encored here) got home at two, and next evening the 

 Unfortunate came to take tea with me, and left at half-past ten 

 with barely time to learn a proposition in Euclid, and make 

 up for lost time. So here is Friday night, and having got home 

 from my German class, I sit down to begin the first rational 

 performance of the week. The above description will satisfy 

 your request that I should write of myself. Let me now write 

 of you and your affairs." 



In the beginning of the year 1840 a bright spot becomes 

 visible in the horizon. " Two days ago I heard from a young 

 friend that Dr. D. B. Eeid, the chemist, is to leave Edinburgh 

 for London at the end of this winter. This has set me seriously 

 thinking about beginning to teach chemistry here next winter. 

 Many friends urge me to it, and if I had the capital I would 

 risk my reputation on it." About a week later he asks Daniel, 



