at it would hardly give him the claim he thought of setting
up, for that swimming through your troubles would not be "opposing"
them. And upon the other point I had no doubt of the wisdom of delay.
The result was that the Christmas story was laid aside until the
following year.

The year's closing incidents were his chairmanship at a meeting of the
Leeds Mechanics' Society on the 1st of December, and his opening of the
Glasgow Athenaeum on the 28th; where, to immense assemblages in
both,[147] he contrasted the obstinacy and cruelty of the Power of
ignorance with the docility and gentleness of the Power of knowledge;
pointed the use of popular institutes in supplementing what is learnt
first in life, by the later education for its employments and equipment
for its domesticities and virtues, which the grown person needs from day
to day as much as the child its reading and writing; and he closed at
Glasgow with allusion to a bazaar set on foot by the ladies of the city,
under patronage of the Queen, for adding books to its Athenaeum library.
"We never tire of the friendships we form with books," he said, "and
here they will possess the added charm of association with their
donors. Some neighbouring Glasgow widow will be mistaken for that
remoter one whom Sir Roger de Coverley could not forget; Sophia's muff
will be seen and loved, by another than Tom Jones, going down the
High-street some winter day; and the grateful students of a library thus
filled will be apt, as to the fair ones who have helped to people it, to
couple them in their thoughts with Principles of the Population and
Additions to the History of Europe, by an author of older date than
Sheriff Alison." At which no one laughed so loudly as the Sheriff
himself, who had cordially received Dickens as his guest, and stood with
him on the platform.

On the last day but one of the old year he wrote to me from Edinburgh.
"We came over this afternoon, leaving Glasgow at one o'clock. Alison
lives in style in a handsome country house out of Glasgow, and is a
capital fellow, with an agreeable wife, nice little daughter, cheerful
niece, all things pleasant in his household. I went over the prison and
lunatic asylum with him yesterday;[148] at the Lord Provost's had
gorgeous state-lunch with the Town Council; and was entertained at a
great dinner-party at night. Unbounded hospitality and enthoozymoozy the
order of the day, and I have never been more heartily received anywh