56 EMINENT NATURALISTS. 



few miles from where they were living, the boys earned 

 more, so after a good deal of persuasion he was allowed 

 to go. In order to get his breakfast, and be at the mill 

 at the proper time, he had to be up by four in the morn- 

 ing, and rarely got home before nine. His way from 

 their home lay partially through thickly- wooded fields, 

 and partially by the side of a burn or brook. These in 

 the summer time were very pleasant, but in the winter 

 bleak and uninviting. Years afterwards, when relating 

 the facts connected with his life, to Dr. Samuel Smiles, 

 who has given us such an interesting account of this 

 self-made naturalist, he said, " People may say of fac- 

 tories what they please, but I liked this factory. It was 

 a happy time for me whilst I remained there. It was 

 situated in the centre of a beautiful valley, almost 

 embowered amongst tall and luxuriant hedges of 

 hawthorn, with watercourses and shadowy trees between, 

 and large woods and plantations beyond. It teemed 

 with nature, and natural objects. The woods were easy 

 of access during our meal-hours. What lots of nests ! 

 What insects, wild flowers, and plants, the like of which 

 I had never seen before ! Prominent amongst was the 

 Scottish nightingale, which lay concealed in the reedy 

 copses, or by the margin of the mill-lades. Oh ! how I 

 wondered at the little thing ; how it contrived to imitate 

 almost all the other birds I had ever heard, and none to 

 greater perfection than the chirrup of my old and special 

 favourite, the sparrow! It so happened that for a 

 month or two during the summer-time, owing to the 

 scarcity of water, one part of the factory worked during 

 the night-time and the other during the daytime, 



