262 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. VI. 



from the hot stones, you must not look for city news, or think 

 I am ill because I have not visited friends there." 



Before leaving London, however, he can say, " The sun shines 

 on me with a brightness, and the wind blows on me with a 

 balminess, which they seem to have lost through this gloomy 

 summer. The weather here has been of the finest ; clear, 

 unbroken sunshine, for the last fortnight. But yesterday a 

 thunderstorm brought deluges of rain, and to-day we have one 

 evendown pour, with the temperature much lowered. I hold it 

 one of the surest symptoms of improvement, that I have lost 

 that sensitiveness to changes in weather, which made me shiver 

 in July, and cower by my laboratory fire. You must not expect 

 to find me fattened up, or very much stronger than when I 

 left, but more active and more healthy I certainly am." 



Shortly after this visit, his first little niece appeared in the 

 home he had just left ; and he informs Daniel" I could give 

 you and Maggie many advices about the bringing up of the 

 young lady ahem ! But I am afraid neither of you would 

 appreciate the fruit of many meditations. One little hint, how- 

 ever, I throw out, as a small endeavour to assist you in your 

 new and strange duty this, namely, that when baby begins to 

 speak, which she is likely to do very soon, both in respect of 

 her sex and her relationship, you ought not to try her with such 

 words as papa and mamma, these are poor sounding vocables, 

 the half of them vowels which she could already articulate if 

 she saw any occasion for it. No, no ; give her some hard word 

 full of consonants for a gumstick, to help her teeth through. I 

 don't know a better than uncle, the three consonants come so 

 nicely together, with a vowel satellite on either side." Alas ! 

 the little lips never achieved this triumph ; a year later found 

 her in the heavenly fold. 



It was now within three weeks of the winter session of 

 1841-42, which promised to begin in greater physical strength 

 than the preceding one. How this hope was again snatched 

 away he tells Daniel : 



" November 6, 1841. 



" MY DEAR BROTHER, You will be glad, I am sure, to receive 



