LIFE AND STAR-GAZING AT TULLYNESSLE. 121 



string, in the left. He was certainly a queer figure, as 

 he ascended the Wardhill to Boggie-Shallock and followed 

 the old church road, by the base of Millhockie Hill, to 

 Syllavethy, long before the granite quarries were opened 

 there, on to the bridge over the Don. 



To the last, though he never again lived at Tullynessle, 

 he kept up friendly relations with the district where he had 

 spent some happy years, frequently visiting it, to see 

 old acquaintances and gather plants. Muckletown was a 

 special resting-place in his later days, when Robert Barron 

 had passed away and his house had become the home 

 of Mrs. Wilson's daughter, and she had become Mrs. 

 Duguid. After kindly entertainment, he would sit for 

 hours by the cosy ingle, enjoying the children's play and 

 a "spring" from her husband's fiddle, showing and de- 

 scribing the plants he had then gathered, bubbling up 

 into glowing humour, as the solitary man always did 

 amongst congenial hearts, and often remaining in this 

 pleasant circle till near midnight. He would then, old as 

 he was, fearlessly face the dark and dubs, and walk home 

 alone, some ten miles, all the way to Droughsburn. 



