THOMAS EDWARD. 71 



deen college that his collection was one of the finest 

 which they had ever seen ; but, Job's comforters as they 

 were, they generously informed him that " he was 

 several centimes too soon, as the people of Aberdeen 

 were not yet prepared for such an exhibition, especially 

 as it had been the work of a poor man." 



True, he was a " poor man," but possessed a noble 

 heart and an indomitable perseverance. Poor fellow ! 

 disappointment, bankrupt hopes, nun looked him in the 

 face. He had faith in himself, but he had fears that it 

 was as the University professor had said, — he was born 

 a century too soon. There were not a few of his visitors 

 who had the impertinence to doubt, and that in no choice 

 language to him, that the collection had really not been 

 got together in the way he would have people believe. 



This he felt very keenly. A few of the people came 

 to see his exhibition who worked at the mills where 

 twenty years before he himself had been as a lad earn- 

 ing a pittance to aid his father and mother in providing 

 food for themselves and their bairns. He naturally 

 thought that the labouring class, of which he was one, 

 and among whom he had lived, would take some interest 

 in his exhibition ; but no, as the days of its being opened 

 increased in number, the attendance appeared to de- 

 crease. He advertised and distributed handbills in 

 thousands, but the result was still the same, although 

 he had reduced the price of admission to a penny for 

 the working classes. 



The rent of the shop he had taken was falling due at 

 the end of the third week, and he was deeply in debt, a 

 feeling which chafed him into an agony of mind. Each 



