physical Society.
Russell was the son of a Perthshire parish minister, but his parents
were dead, and he lived with an uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Archibald
Wilson, whose own family consisted of two sons and three daughters.
Cairns was introduced by Russell to the Wilson family, and soon became
intimate with them. His special friend--at last the dearest friend
he had in this world--was the younger son, George, afterwards the
well-known chemist and Professor of Technology in the University
of Edinburgh. No two men could be less alike--George Wilson with a
bright, alert, nimble mind; Cairns with an intellect massive like his
bodily frame, and characterised chiefly by strength and momentum; and
yet the two fitted into each other, and when they really got to know
each other it might truly be said of them that the love between them
was wonderful, passing the love of women.

By the midsummer of 1840 Cairns had come to a final decision about his
future calling. "I have," he wrote to his father on 13th June, "after
much serious deliberation and prayer to God for direction, made up my
mind to commence this year the study of divinity, with a view to the
office of the ministry of the Gospel. I pray you, do implore the grace
of God on my behalf, after this very grave and solemn determination."

The Secession Church, to which he belonged, and to whose ministry he
desired to seek admission, had no theological tutors who were set
apart for the work of teaching alone. Its professors, of whom there
were four, were ministers in charges, who lectured to the students
during the two holiday months of August and September. The curriculum
of the "Divinity Hall," as it was called, consisted of five of these
short sessions. During the remaining ten months of each year the
student, except that he had to prepare a certain number of exercises
for the Presbytery which had him under its charge, was left very much
to do as he pleased.

Cairns entered the Hall, at that time meeting in Glasgow, in the
August of 1840. Of the four professors who were on the staff of the
institution, and all of whom were capable men, only two need here
be mentioned. These were Dr. Robert Balmer of Berwick and Dr.
John Brown of Edinburgh. Dr. Balmer was a clear-headed, fair-minded
theologian--in fact, so very fair, and even generous, was he wont
to be in dealing with opponents that he sometimes, quite unjustly,
incurred the suspicion of being in sympathy, if not in lea