1 64 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



11 fowk didna ken 'im, they would think 'im daft ! " Often 

 in the middle of a silent inspection of plants, Charles 

 would all at once give a sudden roar, "just," as he said, 

 "to let the steam off;" or he would burst out with in- 

 stantaneous clamour into a song, or into some humorous 

 quotation from Burns, whom he had at his finger ends, or 

 from some other favourite poet ; all to the utter bewilder- 

 ment of quiet John, who could only express himself in 

 " O Charlie ! O man, man ! " 



Then, merely to vary the monotony of the counting of 

 petals and stamens, and the incessant iteration of dode- 

 candria, polyadelphia, heptagynia, and like fluent botanical 

 sesquipedalia, Charles would hold mock arguments with 

 the good weaver, on such a question as whether weavers 

 were entitled to keep the " thrums " or remains of the yarn, 

 an immemorial bone of contention started to try a weaver's 

 temper. These his earnest friend would set himself to 

 prove on logical grounds they had a right to, and would 

 argue solemnly on the subject, for which Charles did not 

 care a pin-point ; while the internal volcano of mirthful 

 fun could hardly be kept from boisterous coruscations. 

 Still farther to try him after all his arguments, he would 

 hum " a stroud," * while working at the plants, from a 

 radical ballad called the " Yellow-waimed Weivers -o' 

 Huntly " 



" Their sash was o' the stowan hank, 

 That day they walked through Huntly ! " 



This referred to their procession, along with other trades, 



in that ancient town, on the passing of the Reform Bill of 



1832. John would gravely remark that "it was guid for 



* A popular song. 



