FAME, PAUPERISM AND WEAKNESS. 3Q9 



soul, hidden away from the world, fame was not and could 

 not be 



" The spur that the clear spirit doth raise 

 To scorn delights, and live laborious days." 



That "fair guerdon" he never followed nor hoped to find, 

 though it found him in the end. His pursuit of knowledge 

 truly was, if it ever was, "all for love and nothing for 

 reward." He may have only meant that he expected 

 something to come of my visit, though I was very careful 

 to prevent any such impression being conveyed at the time. 

 Or, "did he mean," as Mr. Williams suggests, "that his 

 devotion to the beautiful flowers of God's creation, although 

 unseen and unknown here, would be seen and known and 

 used in the beautiful land whither his failing frame told 

 him he was soon to set out ? Probably," Mr. Williams 

 thinks ; " for his words had often a deeper meaning lurking 

 about them." 



He called on James Black some time after, and the 

 conversation turned on the same subject. " Oh, John," said 

 James after dinner, with his usual bantering earnestness, 

 4 ' you're now a great man ! " " Oo, ay," said he ; " am I ? " 

 Then, after a pause, "But, faith, man, it pays, an' that's 

 better ! " smiled the blithe old man, entering into James's 

 key ; " Sal, lad, it pays. Umpha ! Twa notes an' a half 

 whiles in a day. Oh, weel, I ance got a' that frae a man 

 awa sooth there, and I get a note or some shillin's ony 

 day. Sal, Jamie, dinna tell me," continued the old boy, 

 getting chirrupy and humorous, as was his wont in genial 

 society, " dinna tell me that leernin' gets nae reward ! " 



James walked with him into town, and the conversation 

 turned on one who had some time before showed the 



