1842-43. SORROW UPON SORROW. 305 



is beating the air. This is a horrid truism, Jeems, but you'll not 

 wriggle yourself out of it anyway. 



" Have you read George Moir's additional chapter to the 

 * Tale of the Tub' in Blackwood ? If not, you'll be greatly de- 

 lighted with it. It's the finest piece of humour I have read for 

 years. 



" I learn that the price of bacon is expected to rise immedi- 

 ately, owing to the great number of penny-pigs about to be put 

 in requisition to collect money for the dis- established ministers. 1 

 Ladies are running about as pig- drivers in all directions, even 

 through the hungry High Street, mulcting the poor starvelings 

 of their pennies. But then, you know, it's all quite voluntary. 

 Eeport says that the ministers' wives are not able to see their 

 way so clearly as their husbands do, and that curtain lectures 

 are delivered nightly to growing refractory audiences. The re- 

 porters, however, are not admitted, and the result can only be 

 gathered from the sleepless yawns of the morrow's morn. Mean- 

 while, it is loudly given out that the clergymen themselves are 

 removing to attic flats and cheap garrets in all directions, and 

 the designs, at least, have been made public for the wooden 

 churches. 



"Two young ladies have just called. Goodbye ! goodbye !" 



While all was going on favourably as to George's health, and 

 hope was once more springing up in the hearts of those around, 

 dark clouds again closed over them. 



A month later than the preceding letter, a quiet evening was 

 broken in upon by violent ringing at the bell, and immediately 

 the house was filled by a crowd of people. At first the cause of 

 this was unknown, and only a sense of something terrible having 

 happened, was felt. It was the dead body of George's father 

 they were bringing in. Having left the house some hours pre- 

 viously in perfect health, to all appearance, he was returning 

 in the company of two friends, and had almost reached home, 

 talking with cheerful animation, when suddenly he stopped in 



1 A year later than this, we find the following sentence in a letter to Dr. Cairns : 

 " The Free Church goes on nobly, showing far less of human pride or weakness than 

 might have been expected, and even allowed." 



U 



