vate one in the kingdom. He was haunted by apprehension of its
robbery by a gang of thieves, and asked what measures of safety would be
advisable. The professor endeavored to expel the absurd idea by playful
remark, and supposed himself somewhat successful. The next thing he
heard was the intelligence of his death. It is quite evident that the
fatal revolver was purchased for the defense of his treasures. What a
lesson is this of the danger of excessive application, of unreasonable
toil, of late hours, and mental tension. A continued exhaustion of his
energies had brought upon the geologist a state of mental horror from
which death seemed the only relief. The reaction of the nervous system
was, no doubt, similar to that arising from delirium tremens; and thus
extremes met, and the _savant_ perished like the inebriate.

The tragedy did not seem complete until another victim should be added.
The professor took the revolver to Thompson's, on Leith Walk, in order
to learn by examination how many shots had been fired by the unfortunate
suicide. The gunsmith took the weapon, but handled it so carelessly,
that it went off in his hands, and the ball caused his death.

Speaking of excessive labor, we may observe that this is the general
rule among men of science or letters. They are, as a class, crushed by
engagements and duties, as well as by problems and questions of which
the world can not even dream.

The Edinburgh literati know but little of rest or recreation; from the
editor's chair up to the pulpit, they are under a lash as relentless as
that of the taskmaster of Egypt. For instance, we might refer to
Buchanan, of the _Mercury_. He has sat at his desk until he has become
an old man, with the smallest imaginable subtraction of time for food
and sleep, writing night and day, and carrying, in his comprehensive
brain, the whole details of an influential journal. This feature,
however, is not confined to the Old World, and may easily be paralleled
in the journalism of America. Both Raymond, of the _Times_, and Bennett,
of the _Herald_, almost live in the editorial function; and the former
of these, though now Speaker of the Assembly, will either pen his
leaders in his desk, during the utterance of prosy speeches, or in hours
stolen from sleep after adjournment. In addition to these, we might
quote the caustic language of Mr. Greeley, in reference to some
mechanics who had 'struck,' in order to reduce their day's labor (we
t