HIS CHARACTERISTICS AND CHARACTER. 477 



shop at Droughsburn. This he only once accepted in full 

 for himself, kindly and characteristically asking it to be 

 given, except one hundred-weight, to a poor imbecile who 

 had long lived in the neighbourhood, and whom he deemed 

 more needy than himself a simple but beautiful action, 

 in its degree recalling the noble self-denial displayed on 

 the field at Zutphen : " thy need is greater than mine ! " 



He was noted for his obliging helpfulness on all occa- 

 sions, and he was prepared at any time to walk long 

 distances to assist his neighbours in every way he could. 

 Many was the patient he cured, many the garden he 

 dressed, many the tree he pruned, the pleasure of the deed 

 his sole reward. Charles Black expressively says that in 

 natural kindliness, " John Duncan was ' a man after God's 

 own heart.' " 



It was also a pure delight to him to share his stores 

 of knowledge with all that showed the least desire to 

 receive them, a pleasure that rose almost to the strength 

 of propagandism. As one of his Auchleven friends re- 

 marked, he was "grateful and proud to be listened to," 

 and he felt " obliged to you if you paid attention to him." 

 His desire to lead the young to higher things was a beauti- 

 ful trait constantly acted upon, and a proof of high moral 

 health. 



His gratitude for benefits received, however small, was 

 sincere and intense. Mrs. Emslie, of Auchleven, says that 

 it was something extraordinary ; and that it was generally 

 expressed in the simple words, " Ye're very kind, very kind," 

 but uttered in such a tone of over-gratefulness, as it seemed 

 to her, that it made her refrain from offering him even 

 a cup of tea so frequently as she would have done. 



