CHAPTER XXVII. 



LIFE AND HABITS AT DROUGHSBURN. 



DUNCAN'S tastes and habits during the rest of his days at 

 Droughsburn remained the very simplest. His usual hour 

 for rising was four o'clock in summer, and when he had a 

 long journey to go with a web, he would set out at three. In 

 winter, he rose about an hour later. His regular time for 

 retiring was at seven, except when he was visiting or plant- 

 gathering, and then he was often late enough. When he 

 had friends calling on him, he sat up till nine. In the 

 country, " early to bed, early to rise " was and is the rule. 

 How far it issued amongst the people generally in the 

 proverbial health, wealth, and wisdom is another question ; 

 but it was certainly a salutary practice, with good results in 

 the order of statement. John's health was always very 

 good, deflections being rectified by Culpepper's aid ; his 

 wealth, never great, was not only sufficient for his modest 

 wants but yielded a surplus for his relatives and for his 

 books ; and his wisdom was certainly much greater than his 

 neighbours deemed or could appreciate. 



He lived entirely in his workshop, except when he went 

 for his meals to the kitchen, the room next his own. This 

 was a comfortable apartment, with the usual capacious fire- 

 place, within which the children could sit, and was practically 



