James Veitch. 99 



" Merry, merry days that I have seen," ended very 



sadly. 



* * * * * 



When at Jedburgh, I never failed to visit James 

 Veitch, who was Laird of Inchbonny, a small pro- 

 perty beautifully situated in the valley of the Jed, 

 at a short distance from the manse. He was a 

 plough-wright, a hard-working man, but of rare 

 genius, who taught himself mathematics and 

 astronomy in the evenings with wonderful success, 

 for he knew the motions of the planets, calculated 

 eclipses and occultations, was versed in various 

 scientific subjects, and made excellent telescopes, of 

 which I bought a very small one ; it was the only 

 one I ever possessed. Veitch was handsome, with 

 a singularly fine bald forehead and piercing eyes, that 

 quite looked through one. He was perfectly aware 

 of his talents, shrewd, and sarcastic. His fame had 

 spread, and he had many visits, of which he was 

 impatient, as it wasted his time. He complained 

 especially of those from ladies not much skilled in 

 science, saying, " What should they do but ask 

 silly questions, when they spend their lives in 

 doing naething but spatting muslin ? " Veitch 

 was strictly religious and conscientious, observing 

 the Sabbath day with great solemnity ; and I 

 had the impression that he was stern to his wifo, 



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