304 LIFE IN MONTREAL, [Chap. VII. 



like the Warrington room I had ; and instantly set to work at 

 the difficult families. I was introduced to several professors, 

 etc., who enquired after our Montreal savants. They have 

 more students in their Scientific School, this year, even than 

 Agassiz." He did twelve hours' good work, and went off by 

 the night steamer on Christmas Eve. He found every one on 

 board grave and silent : and next morning his ventures to 

 children of a " Merry Christmas " found no response : in New 

 England, Thanksgiving Day takes the place of Christmas as a 

 festival. At Brooklyn, he visited his conchological friend Mr. 

 Bland, and was glad of the opportunity of seeing Dr. Graves, 

 who had been so kind to him and to " Robbie." His adopted 

 son came of age in the spring of 1870, and he sent him to a 

 farming friend in the West, that he might learn the work for 

 which he showed most inclination. Philip felt " very desol'e" 

 at the parting ; but he knew that it was right that R. should 

 depend henceforth on his own exertions. 



The following winter he heard of the death of his venerable 

 friend Mr. Wright ; he wrote to his widow (much loved for the 

 great beauty and sweetness of her character), who was looking 

 forward to a speedy reunion. After saying how soon they might , 

 enter " the world of meetings," he adds, " Of all partings, that of 

 death seems the least. How much harder to bear is that of 

 deadened affection, and how bitter that of sin. . . . Just as in 

 Hebrew, one tense serves for past and future, so in the Christian 

 life. The past in those we love is simply the earnest of the 

 future. I like well Swedenborg's saying, that heaven is a 

 kingdom of uses. I always think that here we are but trying 

 our tools, and learning our trade, and that the true life begins 

 hereafter ; when the shams and the heartless forms of the world 

 shall have passed away." 



Death had seemed near him ; for he had been laid low by 

 a quickly prostrating nervous fever ; and he had only partially 

 recovered, when he heard of the removal of his sister Anna 

 (Mrs. Herbert Thomas), who died October 21, 1870, after a 

 few hours of unconsciousness. The tidings affected him most 

 deeply : happily the next day was Sunday, and he was able to 



