FIRST JOINT BOTANICAL STUDIES. 153 



raise the intelligence and moral tone of the country, and 

 save the memory many a blot and the conscience many 

 a pang. What an influence might not our schools exercise 

 in kindling a love of science and such employment of 

 leisure ! They have it in their power, and it is devoutly 

 to be hoped that they will gradually rise to their high 

 possibilities. 



The winter of 1837-8, which followed that of their first 

 meeting, was one of unusual seventy, long known as " the 

 winter of the big storm," when the snow was so deep that 

 all trace of roads and fields was obliterated, and the snow 

 lay long into the succeeding spring before it melted. It was 

 similar to the winter of last year, when John died. The 

 fierceness and cold of 1880-1, while draining out the waning 

 strength of the old man, sent his memory back to those of 

 more than forty years before, when he struggled through 

 the deep snow night after night, to see his friend Charles 

 and continue the study of the plants. But Duncan never 

 was a man to be easily daunted at difficulty or hard work, 

 and his enthusiasm in his new study soon became an 

 overmastering passion. 



When John left Whitehouse late at night, to retire to his 

 bed above his loom at Netherton, Charles always made a 

 point of accompanying him to "the yetts," or entrance 

 gates, of the policies of Whitehouse. On the way, they 

 were always engaged in ardent talk about the plants they 

 had been working at, or about other subjects that interested 

 them. When the gates were reached, the argument was 

 rarely concluded; and, even when it was, John could not 

 allow Charles to return alone ; so he must needs go back 

 with his friend. But he went so far that Charles had to 



