4OO JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



sensitive man some slight on account of his calling in his 

 worn clothes " meanly dressed," as was said ; and John's 

 old-world dress and queer style were certainly trying 

 to those friends who prized city style more than 

 country worth. John expressed his indignant annoyance, 

 and concluded thus, " Man, Jamie, I hae leddies callin' at 

 my door i' their carriages ! Real leddies ; nane o' yer wu'd- 

 be dirt ! Their maids wu'dna look ower their shouther at 

 sich like as they, peer things ! " Who could censure the old 

 man, then far above eighty, for this little elation at these 

 late-found attentions from his fellow-men, and also from 

 rank that had till then looked down on him or passed him 

 unregarded by, even while living in his own neighbour- 

 hood ? 



John parted with James, asking him to convey his love 

 to Charles, " dear Charlie," and tell him to write him " ae 

 letter sune, and to write it plain, as he wu'd read it aften." 

 Dear, simple, true-hearted creature, how he did love that 

 man ! And Charles did write him, warmly congratulating 

 him on his new-found, well-deserved renown the sweetest 

 praise John received Charles only deprecating that he 

 himself had been so much and so highly extolled, in con- 

 nection with his dear friend ! 



During his long, hard-working life, though labouring at 

 one of the most ill-remunerated trades, which was gradually 

 being extinguished by modern improvements, he had 

 always been able to earn enough to make a living, and 

 even now, in his old age, was in debt to no man a highly 

 honourable achievement that few could have made in the 

 same or even in better circumstances. He had not only 



