296 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



ornamental ; " his swallow-tail, navy-blue coat, " with its 

 collar of most ample dimensions, almost burying his neck, 

 black neck-cloth and all ; " his great shoes, with their 

 abundant protecting irons on the sole ; and his immense 

 umbrella, "a kind of combined staff and tent," they 

 thought, "which even such winds as blow in upland 

 Cushnie would with difficulty have turned inside out." In 

 church, he sat in the pew just in front of them, where they 

 could study his peculiarities with ease and it is to be 

 feared they attended more to him than to the minister 

 noting, even the " cat's-teeth " stitches of his home-made 

 coat, as they showed themselves when he stood in prayer. 

 They were, however, impressed, even at that age, with his 

 remarkable reverence and attention during worship. 



In reading, John's short-sightedness caused him to hold 

 the book almost close to his face, and " even then he had to 

 re-adjust his position afresh at the beginning of every line. 

 But what delighted us most," the doctor tells, "was 

 that every Sunday, just as the sermon was firmly caught 

 between the heads and the application, John handed us 

 his snuff-box (the finely painted one he had got from Mr. 

 Beveridge in Tough). How kind we thought him ! Taking 

 snuff and its consequent sneezing not being considered 

 absolutely heterodox proceedings, albeit held of doubtful 

 propriety, John and we were allowed to repeat the proceed- 

 ing once every Sunday." 



After service, the old man was generally hospitably 

 treated by some of his friends in the Howe of Cushnie, 

 and was thus strengthened for the four-mile walk home 

 again. In returning, he generally had some willing com- 

 panions, for one or more of the boys accompanied him to 



