HIS CHARACTERISTICS AND CHARACTER. 473 



or something like it was not leather at all, but a live 

 membrane, just like yours and mine. One squeeze, and 

 John's mouth filled to overflowing with water, which oozed 

 out all round. He raised the edge of the tablecloth ; 

 looked to the floor, meaning to drop it ; noticed the carpet ; 

 shut his eyes, shuddered visibly, and bolted it ! A 

 moment's silent pause after this feat, and then, turning 

 over with his fork the remaining pieces on the plate and 

 closely examining them, he asked what that stuff was 

 called. James answered, with all gravity, " Mixed pickles, 

 John." " Mixed ? " replied he, in perplexity. " I think it 

 is mixed. But what is it mixed wi' ? " "Well," explained 

 James, " they consist of various kinds of vegetables, mixed 

 together and pickled." " Oh ! It disna mater," returned 

 John. " That's twa things noo, then." " What two things ?" 

 persisted his friend. "Honey and that stuff I can eat 

 nether. Dae ye eat muckle o' that yersel' noo, Jamie ? " 

 queried John. "Well, not much," replied James. "Na, 

 I was thinkin' sae ! " chuckled John, as he attacked his 

 dinner and the Turks again. When he finished, he ex- 

 amined the pickle bottle and its label with silent criticism, 

 and seemed finally to come to the conclusion that such fierce 

 condiments were actually in use amongst civilised nations. 



His extreme poverty induced a marked peculiarity 

 namely, an exaggerated estimate of the value of money. 

 This seems a paradox in one who had so little of it and 

 pursued it less, and whose whole life seemed to be a 

 despising of it for higher things. Nevertheless, it is true. 

 His labour at the loom was so unremunerative, even with 

 so capital and laborious a workman in the prime of life, 

 and every mite he saved represented so much hard toil 



