He was immensely pleased by a letter from Mr. John Morley, telling how his step-son, a boy of non-bookish tastes, had been taken with it.  “My step-son was reading it the other night.  I said, ’isn’t it better to read a novel before going to bed, instead of worrying your head over a serious book like that?’ ‘Oh,’ said he, ’I’m at an awfully interesting part, and I can’t leave off.’” It was, Mr. Morley continued, “the way of making Nature, as she comes before us every day, interesting and intelligible to young folks.”

To this he replied on December 14:—­]

I shall get as vain as a peacock if discreet folk like you say such pretty things to me as you do about the “Physiography.”

But it is very pleasant to me to find that I have succeeded in what I tried to do.  I gave the lectures years ago to show what I thought was the right way to lead young people to the study of nature—­but nobody would follow suit—­so now I have tried what the book will do.

Your step-son is a boy of sense, and I hope he may be taken as a type of the British public!

[A good deal of time was taken up in the first half of the year by the Scottish Universities Commission, which necessitated his attendance in Edinburgh the last week in February, the first week in April, and the last week in July.  He had hoped to finish off the necessary business at the first of these meetings, but no sooner had he arrived in Edinburgh, after a pleasant journey down with J.A.  Froude, than he learned that] “the chief witness we were to have examined to-day, and whose due evisceration was one of the objects of my coming, has telegraphed to say he can’t be here.” [Owing to this and to the enforced absence of the judges on the Commission from some of the sittings, it was found necessary to have additional meetings at Easter, much to his disgust.  He writes:—­]

I am sorry to say I shall have to come here again in Easter week.  It is the only time the Lord President is free from his courts, and although we all howled privately, there was no help for it.  Whether we finish then or not will depend on the decision of the Government, as to our taking up the case of you troublesome women, who want admission into the University (very rightly too I think).  If we have to go into this question it will involve the taking of new evidence and no end of bother.  I find my colleagues very reasonable, and I hope some good may be done, that is the only consolation.

I went out with Blackie last evening to dine with the Skeltons, at a pretty place called the Hermitage, about three miles from here...Blackie and I walked home with snow on the ground and a sharp frost.  I told you it would turn cold as soon as I got here, but I am none the worse.

[It was just the same in April:—­]

It is quite cold here as usual, and there was ice on the ponds we passed this morning...I am much better lodged than I was last time, for the same thanks to John Bruce, but I do believe that the Edinburgh houses are the coldest in the universe.  In spite of a good breakfast and a good fire, the half of me that is writing to you is as cold as charity.