44O JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



and character. She was ably assisted at all times by her 

 daughter Penelope,* as active and constant in work as 

 the celebrated queen whose name she bore, and who had 

 developed, since I saw her first, into blooming womanhood. 

 At that time, too, a niece called Jessie was staying with 

 them, whose power of managing John, as well as Peeny's, 

 was remarkable ; for that required, in his weaker turns, 

 both strength and tact, fun and firmness. 



When I arrived next morning, John looked bright and 

 strong, and rose from his chair, though with difficulty, to 

 welcome me. He expressed his concern at seeing me 

 covered with the drifted snow, which was so deep round 

 the cottage that it almost blocked up the door and shut 

 out the light. He said it was "a terrible time," which 

 reminded him of the winter of 1838, after he first knew 

 Charles Black, and, like me, had to struggle through the 

 drifts to get to Whitehouse ; and of an earlier winter at 

 Drumlithie, in 1811, when the corn was so bad after it 

 that "it crunched between his teeth." These memories 

 showed that this was one of his strong, clear-headed seasons, 

 which it would be well to take advantage of. After morn- 

 ing greeting in the busy kitchen, I seated myself at the 

 table beside John, and gradually led him to continue the 

 reminiscences of his past life which the snowstorm had 

 begun. 



He was unusually clear and communicative, recalling 

 what he had been in 1877, when we climbed the hill 

 together ; and I secured a long series of important notes 

 regarding his history, which have been already embodied 



* The long word " Penelope " was colloquially shortened int,o 

 " Penny," or more frequently into " Peeny." 



