20 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



Young, who occupied tlie neighbouring farm of Ardochrigg ; and 

 he acted successively as cow-herd, quey-herd, and shepherd. It 

 was on the latter farm that he was promoted to the post of shep- 

 herd, when between ten and eleven years of age, and his lot was 

 by no means an easy one. Many a night the herd never got to 

 bed at all, but had to lie on the hay-stack, with a plaid as his only 

 covering, lest he should over-sleep himself. When nearly fourteen 

 years of age, his service was transferred to an adjoining farm, 

 where his duty was to look after the sheep every morning, and 

 assist with the other out-door work. The monotonous round of 

 his daily toil on these moorland farms was broken by many inci- 

 dents and boyish adventures, which have been fully chronicled 

 by hi^ biographer. These afford interesting glimpses of the lad's 

 character and favourite pursuits, and throw light on many of the 

 rural customs of the time, but we cannot afford them more than a 

 passing reference. 



It had been the oft-expressed wish of his mother that David 

 should learn some trade, which he might either pursue constantly 

 or resort to if at any time he should be unsuccessful in obtaining 

 other employment. Although he had no great wish of his own 

 to learn a trade, there were various reasons which induced him to 

 follow his mother's advice, and chief among these was a desire to 

 learn to write. A serious impediment in his speech rendered it 

 diflScult for him to carry on a conversation ; and fearing that his 

 stammer would stand in the way of success in business, he 

 believed that he might be able to express himself more easily in 

 writing than by word of mouth. When about seventeen years of 

 age he accordingly entered the employment of his brother James 

 as a hand-loom weaver, and made up his mind to take writing- 

 lessons at an evening school during the winter months, but on the 

 second night of the school only five pupils had come forward, and 

 the class was discontinued. But although disappointed, young 

 David did not allow his purpose to be defeated, for he purchased 

 some round-hand and half-text copy-lines, and set diligently to 

 work. He also got hold of an old letter, written in a style which 

 had taken his fancy, and tried to imitate the penmanship as 

 closely as possible. 



But work at a hand-loom was not a form of employment which 

 offered any sufficient prospect of advancement. Accordingly, 



