45 8 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



His best disciples, who have felt, with Luther, that "the 

 fewer words, the better prayer." Perhaps if this man had 

 known the whole circumstances, his judgment might not 

 have been so harsh ; let us hope so for, as Hood truly 

 and sympathetically reminds us 



" Evil is wrought by want of thought 

 As well as want of heart." 



Happily and justly, this rash estimate was not shared by 

 the clergyman to whom John's natural words were spoken. 

 As he says, he knew the man and liked the blunt, honest 

 answers he used to receive from him on religious as well as 

 other matters, " which scorned the slightest tinge of pre- 

 tension and waived all ceremony." One day shortly after, 

 on parting with him, Mr. Brander remarked that God was 

 " the hearer and answerer of prayer." Opening his closed 

 eyes and looking up into his face, John replied, with an 

 emphasis and in a way that could not be mistaken, " Ay, 

 ay, I ken that ! " " It is impossible," says Mr. Brander, " to 

 describe the manner in which these simple words were 

 uttered ; but to me they conveyed a full conviction of the 

 firm faith and the quiet repose of apostolic assurance of 

 the man." 



In the middle of July, Mrs. Morrison's gift of a fine 

 arm-chair arrived, delayed thus long through the illness 

 of the generous donor alas ! too late to be used by the 

 old man, whose declining years it was meant to comfort. 

 About the same time, he received an invitation to attend a 

 Joint Meeting of Scientific Societies, held at Elgin on the 

 29th and 3Oth of the month, the first of the kind in the 

 north, the secretary being unaware that John was so near 

 his end. Three of the societies concerned had elected him 



