THE HAPPY AND HONOURED CLOSE. 45$ 



keen old spirit asserted itself. Some time after this, the 

 doctor had put some bromide of potassium into the porter 

 which had been prescribed for his morning porridge, a dish 

 he still greatly relished. When John was asked if he liked 

 it, he said that he did, but that he " didna like the doctor's 

 smuggling " referring to his clandestine use of the drugs 

 without telling him all about what he was doing. 



John's weakness increased greatly after this accident, 

 and his need of attendance became more constant and 

 exhausting. At length, in the beginning of July, Mrs. 

 Allanach found the work too much for her and her 

 daughter, and she asked her son-in-law, John Taylor, who 

 had then some leisure, to come to assist her and attend 

 to his old friend. Mr. Taylor came at once, and remained 

 with him till his death, a month afterwards. He nursed 

 him, anticipating and supplying his wants like more than 

 son, inspired by reverence and affection for the man, which 

 was now raised to tenderness by the patient's weakness. 

 It was an admirable and fortunate arrangement. It was 

 also, a strange and unexpected happiness to the old botanist, 

 that one of his most attached pupils should return the 

 benefits he had received from him by soothing his dying 

 pillow. The task was not light, either by night or day, for 

 John gradually became helpless, and had to be lifted in and 

 out of bed ; but the strong arms that bore him were both 

 able and willing. 



The last time John was capable of going outside was 

 on the 1 6th of July, when he was unusually vivacious, and 

 went twice to the cottage door, leaning on the arm of his 

 friend, to gaze, in the sweet summer light, on the dear 

 familiar scene, on which he had looked so long, across the 



