26 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



arranging for the regular supply of goods of English manufacture, 

 such as were then offered by several competing firms in Glasgow. 

 But a period of advancing prosperity was darkened by heavy 

 domestic bereavements. Mrs. Robertson, while visiting her mother, 

 who was sick with fever, caught the disease, and died after a short 

 illness. Two children — a son and dauojhter — had been born of the 

 marriage, but both died young, the second child being buried at 

 the same time as its mother. Soon after these sad events, Mr. 

 Robertson made his home with his partner's family, with whom he 

 continued to reside for a considerable time. Meanwhile the 

 business of the firm continued steadily to increase from year to year. 



Among the relatives of the M'Dougalls was a Mr. Alston, who 

 lived in the Tsle of Man. '^n 1839," to quote from Mr. Robert- 

 son's biographer, " Mr. Alston had been left a widower, with an 

 only daughter, named Hannah, then aged thirteen. At a still 

 earlier period this little girl had become acquainted with David 

 Robertson's name by being bidden to collect shells on the sea-shore 

 for the benefit of a great conchological signboard he had been 

 making. That she should ever see the man herself she had natur- 

 ally then no expectation, nor, for the matter of that, any curiosity 

 to do so. In the year 1842, however, it so happened that Mr. 

 Alston brought his daughter to Glasgow to be introduced to her 

 relatives, the M'Dougalls. With them also came a cousin. Mr. 

 Alston was a verv tall man, and when he entered the warehouse 

 with a tall young lady on one arm, and his little daughter on the 

 other, Robertson's attention was immediately arrested by the trio ; 

 and something apparently besides his attention must have been 

 taken captive, for he seems to have made up his mind then and 

 there that the little girl, on whom he had never set eyes before, 

 should, if possible, become his wife. 



" By some innocent manoeuvring, Hannah Alston was induced 

 to pay another visit to the M'Dougalls in Glasgow, coming this 

 time without her father. As she had won David's heart without 

 any effort of her own on the former visit, so on this, without much 

 trouble, he either won or completed the conquest of hers. The/ 

 M'Dougalls, who, of course, thoroughly well knew and highly\ 

 valued Robertson, were, on their part, quite content, and so: 

 smoothed the path of the lovers that, with the least possible delay, 

 they were married on September 11th, 1843." 



