152 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



with all the vigorous enthusiasm born of love for the plants 

 and for each other. John was so eager that, winter as it 

 was, he threw off his shoes and coat when the examination 

 began, and worked in his shirt-sleeves and stockings ! 



There is nothing like enthusiastic devotion to a subject 

 to raise the bodily temperature. I knew two gentlemen, 

 the keenest of chess-players, who, even at a drawing-room 

 party, where they would retire to a window recess to play, 

 regularly took off their coats before the game was half 

 done, while the heated perspiration stood on their brows ! 

 Need we wonder at Duncan ? 



So very earnest were these two students that, as both 

 have told me, often did the dawn surprise them at their 

 happy toil ! At that time, Charles did the chief part of 

 the work of examination and arrangement, while John 

 put them neatly on paper according to their classes ; and, 

 as Charles says, " deftly did he do it." He used the clean- 

 washed floor to lay them on, the table being occupied by 

 Charles. 



Often, while thus employed, they were so devotedly 

 absorbed in the work that hours would pass without a 

 single word being exchanged between them ; for, as Charles 

 says, their " heads and hearts were too full ! " And who 

 that has engaged, especially with a dear friend, in the same 

 delightful work among the plants gathered during the day, 

 under the blue sky and amidst the countless charms of 

 earth and air, has not known the raptures of like enthu- 

 siasm by the blazing fire, and cannot vividly recall many 

 a blissful hour so spent as amongst the happiest of his life ? 



Would that such pursuits were commoner than they 

 are amongst our people ! Few things would do more to 



