1844-54. LECTURE TO RAGGED SCHOOL. 329 



acters. No doubt, we get our share of the prayers for all sorts 

 and conditions of men, but I want something more. The day I 

 hope will come when, without cant, or formality, or hypocrisy, 

 a class and its teacher will together ask God's blessing on their 

 work before they begin. If we can't be Christians in all our 

 daily work, of what worth is our Christianity?" It may be 

 imagined what excitement such a lecture occasioned amongst 

 the inhabitants of the close or wynd in the High Street of 

 Edinburgh, in which it was held. Going down on one of the 

 evenings, an hour previous to the opening of the door, to make 

 preliminary arrangements, the lecturer found little boys endea- 

 vouring with intense curiosity to peep through every crevice of 

 door or window. Seeing him enter elicited from one the pathetic 

 petition, " Eh, man ! will ye no let us in ?" but a more shrewd 

 companion observed, " That's no a man ; that's a gentleman !" 

 In due time they did get in, and next day were overheard by 

 the assistants who came to remove the apparatus used, dilating 

 to their companions at the mouth of the close, on the wonders 

 they had seen. "And man !" said one, "he fired a glass pistol 

 fu' o' naething ; an' he set up a balloon, an' they were a' haddin' 

 on t' it ! ! !" The description of the explosion George ever 

 remembered with keen zest. 



The notes of this lecture may be given as a specimen of those 

 from which he usually spoke, only a very few lectures being 

 fully written out. Special words and marks were written in 

 red ink, to catch the eye. 



CHEMISTRY OF A CANDLE. 



I. Methods of producing Heat and Light. Wood : Coal : 

 Candles : Lamps : Spirits. 



Gas. 



II. Apparently very different ; essentially same. 

 a. All contain charcoal : leave it when heated. 

 &. Give off inflammable air or H. 

 c. Turn into vapour when heated. 



III. Cinder, or coke, or charcoal-fire glows, but does not 

 flame. 



