288 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



and pleasantly furnished, like all thrifty Scotch country- 

 houses. 



The Allanachs were highly respectable, well-conducted, 

 hard-working people. They brought up a large family 

 with credit, and were exemplary in their religious duties, 

 holding worship nightly at home and going regularly to 

 church every Sunday. 



Mr. Allan ach was what would now be called a contractor, 

 employing others in the jobs he undertook connected with 

 all kinds of country work, such as harvesting, draining and 

 the like. His self-esteem was considerable, and he wished 

 laudably to achieve as good a social position as he could, 

 which his want of financial success greatly prevented. His 

 style was what his neighbours thought high, and it subjected 

 him to consequent criticism. He was considerably inclined 

 to look down upon his simple tenant, the weaver. For 

 John's habits and studies, he had not the smallest predilec- 

 tion, and he did not take any pains to try to understand 

 the man. The result was that, though they sat at the 

 same table and lived in such close connection, their relations 

 were never very cordial. In Allanach's presence, John's 

 retiring nature, which was all his life keenly sensitive to 

 chilliness and contempt and only opened out under friendly 

 warmth, was effectually frozen up. At best, there reigned 

 between them a slumbering armed neutrality. 



The distance between them was also increased by 

 Allanach's treatment of Duncan's plants. John had a small 

 part of the garden railed off for his own use, in which he 

 cultivated what plants he pleased. In addition to this, 

 during the nine years he had been there before the 

 Allanachs came, he was allowed the use of the flower 



