ear that he is threatened with disease of the heart, sudden death at
any moment. His wife and her sisters are excellently kind to me; she has
but two faults, an excessive _humility_ and an excessive
_conscientiousness_; they wouldn't be bad for virtues, would they?

Mr. Scott's intercourse is delightful to me; his mind is deep and high,
logical and practical, humorous and tender, and he is as nearly _good_
as a man can be. He has a still, calm manner and slow, quiet speech,
very composing to me. I wish it might be my good fortune to see more of
him.

Farewell, my dear. I begin to feel as if I never should get off; and
instead of the pathetic uncertainty as to when we might meet again,
which was beginning to affect me with melancholy, have fallen into a
sort of reckless indifference about you: so sure am I that we shall see
each other, maybe, _ad nauseam_ mutually, before I go. Give my love to
Dorothy.

Ever as ever yours,
FANNY.

[The remarkable man of whom I have spoken in this letter, John
Alexander Scott, was one of the most _influential_ persons I have
ever known, in the strongest sense of the word. I think the term,
"an important human being," by which Sydney Smith described Francis
Horner, might justly have been applied to Mr. Scott. The intimate
friend of Edward Irving, Carlyle, and Maurice, he affected, to an
extraordinary degree, the minds and characters of all those who were
familiar with him; and his influence, like all the deepest and most
powerful human influence, was personal.

He delivered various courses of lectures, principally, I think, in
Edinburgh--Dante being one of his favorite themes; and "Three
Discourses" upon religious and moral subjects are, I think, all that
remain in printed form of many that he delivered at various times
and at various places. They are, as is always the case in the
instance of his order of mind and character, though striking and
powerful, very inadequate samples of his spirit and intellect.

A very just tribute to his uncommon qualities and extraordinary
power of influence appeared, after his death, in the _Spectator_. It
was undoubtedly written by one who knew Mr. Scott well, and bore
testimony, as all who ever had that privilege have done, to the
singular force and virtue of his nature, an