1912-13.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 173 



through the drenchings he has had, has got all the colours 

 of the rainbow, and (careful man) he does not want to 

 destroy his fine linen one by wearing it in this wet and 

 disagreeable weather. How she would have laughed had 

 she seen him coming to Ben Lawers Inn, literally loaded 

 with good and rare plants: with his glengarry, two 

 vasculums slung round his waist, and two handkerchiefs 

 on his back, looking, for all the world, like Christian with 

 his load of sin in the illustrated "Pilgrim's Progress"" (6th 

 July 1842). Some days after this he went to church, with 

 notebook and pencil, prepared to send his wife the " heads " 

 of the sermon. But when the 18th Psalm was given 

 out in Gaelic, sung in Gaelic, and the gentleman in black 

 began to pray in Gaelic, he thought it was time to slip 

 out of church. He tells her he is on his last shilling, and 

 can she manage to borrow three or four pounds, as it 

 will be so disappointing for him to turn homewards and 

 his season's needs not nearly supplied yet — once he is 

 back again he will soon repay the loan. So the letters 

 run on, and again and again reference is made to the " want 

 of funds." which is not the chronic trouble of this generation 

 alone, but was specially present with this gleaner in the 

 fields of Nature. And equally apparent in the letters is 

 the warm glow of his affection for his " dearest Elizabeth."" 

 The letters are now faded and worn ; the violets, forget- 

 me-nots, and sprigs of moss, which the lonely man sent 

 with his love, are yellow and dry. and yet these very 

 human documents still stir one's heart after seventy years 

 have gone. A few of the letters of his wife I have also 

 seen. They are poor productions: ill-expressed and badly 

 written. But one does not estimate the woman by these 

 things — her worth is manifest in the love she inspired in 

 her husband. 



These annual excursions of Gardiner in search of plants 

 were very congenial to him. " He was able thus," he 

 wrote, " to gratify his own enthusiasm for botanical 

 pursuits, and at the same time enrich the herba/ria of his 

 subscribers with most of the Alpine varieties of Scotland.'' 

 But the work was trying and exhausting, and told upon 

 him in after years. Nor was it free from risk and danger. 

 In a paper in the " Phytologist " on the " Flora of the 



