HE RETURNS TO THE GADIE. 



disturbing the sweet scents and sanctities of such com- 

 munistic arrangements. 



John slept, as before, in the cold " philosopher," with 

 the near companionship of his equine and bovine fellows ; 

 and his bed and possessions were disposed as on his last 

 occupancy of the same delectable loft. 



In Smith's house, there was only one fire, which was 

 in the kitchen at the far end from the workshop. In 

 the winter time, there was nothing for our weaver to do 

 when he got cold, but to drive all the harder at the treddles 

 and the shuttle. When his hands became too chilled even 

 to do that, he would then take a run to the warm kitchen, 

 to toast them at the peat fire which smouldered on the 

 low hearthstone. 



The kitchen was also the only dwelling-place in the 

 building, and into it were crowded the man, his wife, and 

 a large family. 



Sandy Smith was himself a pleasant, intelligent fellow, 

 a good deal of a wag, and a capital workman, but he 

 relished other pursuits more than his loom. Though he 

 had no great liking for general reading or scientific subjects, 

 he was a keen politician and a great devourer of the news- 

 papers. Here John and he being on common ground, 

 they used to hold long confabulations on the stirring times 

 in which they lived. Smith was kind and happy- 

 tempered, and allowed his eccentric tradesman full liberty 

 to do his work as he liked. He put no check on his 

 wanderings, knowing that he was a workman worth 

 having, who more than made up for any lost time, and 

 that, as he was employed on piece-work, any loss fell only 

 on himself. 



