45 O JOHN DUNCAN^ WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



tales about the Great Creator." After some account of his 

 family, Charles continued, " I really do intend to come and 

 see you before long, and I trust we will be spared to meet 

 each other. We will have much to speak about, for God's 

 mercies and blessings to us both have been great, though we 

 must confess we have been ill-deserving." After wishing 

 him to write him if he could or to get some friend to do 

 so for him, and expressing the happiness of himself and 

 his wife to think that he was "so comfortable for the 

 remaining years of his life," he subscribed himself his " old 

 and true freend." 



The effect of these simple, sincere words upon the man, 

 supplemented by my accounts of Arbigland and Charles 

 and Charles's love of him, was deep and touching. He wept 

 truly like a child, in child-like unreserve and affection, that 

 made it difficult or impossible not to join in his strong 

 emotion ; and part of his love for his friend overflowed 

 on me in terms of confidence and appreciation. During 

 the recital, he continually ejaculated, " Eh, ay ! eh, ay ! " 

 When I concluded, he said, " I canna, canna say what 

 I feel : an' the tears winna come richt " for " the tears 

 of bearded men " are wrung from the very depths. At 

 length, he became calm, and drying his eyes, excused him- 

 self by saying, " I'm sair owercome the day, some way or 

 ither ; but I'm glad ye're here." 



In the succeeding composure, we discoursed of the 

 perennial subject of the flowers, to which he ever recurred ; 

 for Charles and the plants were indissolubly united in 

 John's heart. " I wu'd hae been much overjoyed," he said, 

 forgetting his weakness in the pleasure roused by his favour- 

 ites, " to hae ga'en to the hills wi' ye, an' it hadna been sick 



