352 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. IX. 



wonderful power lie had in his genial happy nature of making 

 others love him, is strange and almost overpowering in its mani- 

 festations." One who knew him from his writings says, " So 

 much of the man himself came out in all that he said or wrote, 

 that even in those who knew him only from his public actings, 

 there insensibly grew up the feeling of personal attachment to 

 the great heart that welled over in his writings and addresses." 

 To multiply testimonies of affection of a striking nature would 

 be easy, but they could no more convey an impression of the 

 truth than would a description of the fragrance of a bouquet of 

 flowers, bring back the exquisite aroma which was so gladden- 

 ing and refreshing. Friends who knew him will think this at- 

 tempt to speak of his lovableness a failure, while to others it 

 may seem overstrained and unnatural. We shall only, there- 

 fore, in addition say, that no one was more surprised at it than 

 himself. What could make So-and-So take such a fancy for 

 him, showing it by untiring labour on his behalf, was often a 

 subject of speculation, the riddle being sometimes solved by his 

 saying that there surely must be something of the hypocrite in 

 him, or people would not esteem him so much better than he 

 deserved. " I cannot but painfully contrast," he writes to a 

 friend, 1 "my own poor deservings with your estimate of my 

 worth ; a little praise is all that is good for me, and I get fright- 

 ened when I have much of it. I shall try to deserve your good 

 opinion, and that of your kind friends." This grace of humility, 

 doubtless, cast a charm over all his acts, and in it somewhat of 

 the secret of influence may be found. 



In the spring of 1847, a poem, addressed by him 'To the 

 Stethoscope," attracted much notice. It appeared in ' Black- 

 wood's Magazine/ and the Edinburgh doctors, who eagerly 

 sought to discover the author, were not a little surprised to 

 find him one of themselves. In the few words of preface to 

 the lines, he says, " The stethoscope has long ceased to excite 

 merely professional interest. There are few families to whom 

 it has not proved an object of horror and the saddest remem- 

 brance, as connected with the loss of dear relatives, though it is 

 but a revealer, not a producer of physical suffering." 



1 Mr. D. Mr.cmillan, Cambridge. 



