234 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. V. 



" Do you remember my poor old friend the sweep ? He is 

 dead fell from a ladder and hurt his side. His case was ne- 

 glected, and when he sent for me he was past remedy. I sent 

 him to the Infirmary, where he lived only two days. He was 

 buried on Christmas day. I sold my Koran to buy him a coffin." 

 This poor man was one of the Infirmary patients in whom 

 George had become interested while attending the hospital 

 Since then he had received help in many ways, being considered 

 a pensioner of the house, his broken health unfitting him for 

 active labour. No small amount of self-denial was shown in 

 parting with his beautifully-bound and much-prized Koran to 

 afford his poor friend decent burial. The same letter says : 

 " I have had an oppressive bilious attack for the last month, 

 which has damped my energy and kept me very quiet, circum- 

 stances not being of a kind to give one the elasticity with which 

 to meet depression. I am getting well again, and Mary is a 

 good deal better. Mother is pretty well, and otherwise we are 

 as we were. They talk of writing to you by this penny post, 

 and they certainly will soon. Meanwhile we are all glad of this 

 reduction in postage. ... I have now made up my mind to 

 begin lecturing next winter in Edinburgh. In the meantime I 

 have learned that I shall not require to take out a fellowship, 

 but only a license, which may be had for the asking. Dr. D. B. 

 Eeid will certainly go to London, and his brother come here to 

 lecture for him, but there will still be a vacancy, which I shall 

 strive to fill. All my friends urge me on, and I see no oppor- 

 tunity so promising. . . . Dr. Eeid's brother will have his fine 

 rooms, and I cannot vie with him as a teacher of practical 

 chemistry, but as a lecturer I may." 



"I am now (February 13th) spending most of my time in 

 working for my lectures, not forgetting, however, mathematics 

 and German, in both of which I make satisfactory progress. 

 Well, we must hope that the future will belie the past, and 

 bring us the freedom from corroding anxiety which we have 

 never yet known. What a moral lesson I am teaching you ! 

 Meanwhile our hearts will not burn the less warmly than they 

 would do if gold were ours to command. In proof whereof I 

 shall give an example of my benevolence. While I was reading 



