retire to the library for twenty
minutes or half an hour's perusal of a novel as mental rest. His taste
in novels has been already described. Although he would read only those
called exciting, they did not apparently excite him, for he read them as
slowly as if he was learning them by heart. He would return to the
drawing-room to drink a large cup of extremely strong tea, then again
retire to the library to commence his day of literary work about eight
in the evening. He would read or write without cessation, and without
the least appearance of fatigue or excitement, till one or two in the
morning.

Always an excellent sleeper, he would go to bed and to sleep till nine
or ten of the same morning, seldom joining the family breakfast, but
breakfasting by himself immediately before going to his office.

In Lauriston Place three more children were born to Dr Burton, a son and
two daughters. When the elder of the two little girls was hardly a year
old the whole nursery sickened, first of measles, then of hooping-cough.
Little Rose, the baby, being recommended change of air, the family went
to South Queensferry, and there the baby died, and was buried in Dalmeny
churchyard. Some earlier associations had attached both Dr Burton and
his wife to the neighbourhood; and during his latter years Dr Burton
frequently alluded to this little baby, the only child he lost, being
laid there,--and expressed a wish that when their time came, his wife
and he should lie there also. His wish was carried out in his own case.

In July of the following year the first company of volunteers formed in
Scotland exercised in the field at 27 Lauriston Place. Dr Burton
sympathised strongly in the volunteer movement, and joined the
Advocates' corps. Though never seriously apprehensive of an invasion of
our coasts, he considered it proper that we should increase our military
strength while foreign nations were so enormously augmenting theirs. He
drilled regularly with the volunteers while they continued to assemble
in his field, and until an accident had temporarily lamed him. He
marched past the Queen on the brilliant sunny day of the first great
Volunteer Review in the Queen's Park in 1860, his wife looking on in the
company of his old friend Sir John Kincaid, then an Inspector of
Prisons.

27 Lauriston Place was considered sufficiently rural to obviate the
necessity of going to the country, and during the six years of its
occupancy the family seld