20 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 
Young, who occupied the 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 his 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 
difficult 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, 
