The year 1840 was a year full of commotion and eventfulness. The question had to be decided, what should be the next step in John's career, whose probation at Whittaker's seems now to have accomplished all that could be expected from that uncongenial drudgery. There were a great many plans taken into consideration, and much careful discussion and thought over him, whether the youth should continue his education under the charge of some other firm, or whether he should be considered to have reached that stage when he could be trusted to enter business for himself. The matter had been brought to a sudden necessity for decision by the death of Cadell, hitherto the agent of the Blackwoods in London, whose business was being wound up in the very end of 1839, when Robert came to London accompanied by the very young cadet Archie, on his way to India, about whom also in their deputy fatherhood the cares of the elder brothers had been many. By this time the world had entered the new ways of scientific progress so far that there was now an overland mail to India, with its little railway across the desert, the harbinger of so many more wonderful things; but it was decided that it was better on the whole to send the inexperienced boy the old way in an Indiaman, rather than let him run the risks of an unknown continent.