THE AUTHOR'S LAST VISIT. 439 



and even then, for some time, it did not seem to dawn 

 fully upon him, so rapid were the transitions of strength 

 and weakness, intelligence and dulness, through which he 

 now passed. We seated ourselves and talked to the bright 

 old lady and the other inmates, allowing him time to 

 recover. This he gradually did, and he was able by-and-by 

 to take part in the conversation with considerable bright- 

 ness. But the day was too far advanced for him to become 

 what he had been earlier, and he had soon to retire to rest. 

 On seeing this, we left, after cordial parting and a promise 

 from me to return on the morrow. We found our way 

 home again with increasing difficulty, through the gathering 

 storm. 



The room in which he now lived was small but comfort- 

 able. The walls were adorned with pictures, plain and 

 coloured, of Da Vinci's " Lord's Supper," Rubens's " Bear- 

 ing the Cross," and other Bible scenes. The small window 



o 



was hung with gauze curtains, and had a pretty bead basket 

 pendent in its centre. The floor was covered with thick 

 "clooty carpets " of John's weaving, and the whole formed 

 a snug nest, pleasantly contrasting with the wild drifting 

 snow without that obscured the windows. 



During the four succeeding days while I stayed in the 

 Vale, I spent as much time with John at Droughsburn as 

 his strength was able to bear, retiring to the kitchen when 

 he needed rest, to talk with his intelligent landlady. Her 

 kindness to the weak old man, who was now restless, 

 wandering and in many respects troublesome, and required 

 unremitting attention, was beyond all praise ; and it was 

 well for John that he had such a nurse in his last days, 

 who had known him in his vigour and respected his talents 



