278 TKAXSACTIONS AND rEOCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lxiv. 



a beautiful country parish three miles north of Kelso, 

 and there he spent the remaining twenty-two years of 

 his life. The record of that time is one of conscientious 

 discharge of duty. He proved himself a model parish 

 minister ; he was the friend of all his parishioners, high 

 and low, and they regarded him with the sincerest respect 

 and affection. It is not too much to say that seldom has 

 a parish minister been more truly mourned for by his 

 people. 



But far beyond the bounds of his parish his friendship 

 was prized by a large circle. He was a singularly 

 friendly man, and he had the faculty of making friends 

 wherever he went. There was an attraction about him 

 which it is not easy to detine, but which was based on his 

 good sense and humour, unselfishness, honesty of character 

 and sympathy, and a lovableness wdiich it was impossible to 

 resist. While he added to his friends every year, he never 

 lost one of them, for not only was he very careful of the 

 feelings of others, but he was not a man of changeful 

 moods — at times hearty, and at times cold. You felt you 

 could depend upon him — he was always the same, one 

 you could rely upon and trust. This was one of the 

 most marked features of his character, as all who knew 

 him will be ready to testify. Nothing pleased him 

 better than to be in a position to assist another in 

 any way, and he would put himself to more trouble 

 for others than he would care to do for himself. Few 

 men have been more popular among their acquaintances, 

 but he did not court popularity, — it came to him unsought, 

 as the result of the genuine and sterling qualities of his 

 own character. 



He had never received any proper scientific education, 

 but from the time of his going to Stichill he began to 

 use his leisure hours in acquiring all the information he 

 could on the three subjects tliat interested him most — 

 botany, geology, and archa-ology. Of his connection 

 with the two latter sciences it is not necessary to say 

 mucli liere. His knowledge of geology was considerable, 

 especially of mineralogy, and he had a very interesting 

 collection of stones and minerals, all carefully classified 

 and named. Along with his friend and former pupil, 



