440 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. X. 



" 1. Talleyrandish, i,e., have got the book, and expect plea- 

 sure from reading it. 



" 2. Patronizing ; will put a copy in the School Libraiy. 



"3. (a.) Hearty, such as Dickens, Wilson, Buskin, Canon 

 Wordsworth, Buxton, Argyll. 



" (6.) The same, but judiciously critical. 



" (c.) The same, but grumphy, and injudiciously critical. . . . 



" I read them all with interest, most with pleasure, none with 

 pain." 



The following letter, written before leaving Melrose, is not 

 offered as a specimen of his official, or even semi-official corre- 

 spondence ; the style is peculiarly his own, and not a few such 

 did good service in securing specimens for the museum. It is 

 addressed to his friend, Miss Abernethy :- 



"Private and Confidential, not to be shown in Court. 



" DEAR JANET, I am in a mood so lazy and languid that it 

 costs me an effort to write even to you, especially when I read 

 in the newspapers such appalling accounts of damages for 

 breach of promise, and remember how many letters you have of 

 mine, and what dreadful damages juries give. If this letter 

 appears stiff and stupid, you will understand why it is so. It 

 is, indeed, a business letter, as you will immediately perceive, 

 and I trust, dear madam (I dare not venture on anything 

 stronger), you will reply to it. 



" A message was brought to me that there lay at the shop of 

 our grocer here, a pair of wonderful Curling Stones, made of 

 black granite (whatever that may be), mounted in silver, beau- 

 tifully polished, and to be had (cheap) for 3. 



" The Director of the Industrial Museum, having money to 

 spend, went to-day to see the wondrous stones ; found the 

 granite turned into whinstone, the silver into electro-plate, and 

 the 3 into 3, 10s. Further, the worthy grocer informed the 

 Director that the stones were sent to him by Mr. W. . . . and 

 that he was not to take a farthing less than the said 3, 1 Os. 

 for the stones, which indeed are very beautiful. Now, dear 

 madam (oh, how tempted I feel to say, dear Janet), I write at 



