1 6 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



cruel, and he always gratefully recalled the kindness of 

 a good old woman he herded to, who treated him more 

 like a son than a servant, dried his wet clothes when he 

 returned after a rainy day, and altogether provided the 

 shy, awkward but thankful lad with the luxury of a 

 comfortable home. Thus, in his very first start in the 

 practical work of the wprld, little Johnnie got more than 

 a glimpse of both sides of the shield of life. 



The places where he was thus employed as herd were, 

 happily for him, close by Dunnottar Castle. Being naturally 

 thoughtful, which home straits had strengthened, he could 

 now gaze with growing interest and intelligence on its 

 ruins whether they stood in gaunt isolation on their 

 sea-washed rocks on sunny days, or gleamed weird-like 

 through driving mist and rain, as he remained at his post, 

 when they seemed to the boy like companions in suffer- 

 ing. Though unable to read for himself the strange story 

 that haunted their walls, he drank it with avidity as heard 

 from the lips of numerous narrators during the long winter 

 evenings, or as told him by some kindly companion while 

 they sat together on the braes above, or by his friend the 

 keeper who lived close by. With the keeper's help, he 

 studied the ruins thoroughly, and became intimately ac- 

 quainted with their every detail.* 



But in all their long, changeful and fascinating story, what 

 charmed his young imagination most was, not the halls 

 where royalty had rested ; not the place where the 

 Scottish crown, sword, and sceptre had lain, and whence 



* John's knowledge of Dunnottar seems to have been minute and 

 correct, and he used to speak with great respect of Dr. Longmuir's 

 contributions to its topography and history. 



