CHAPTER XVIII 



CONCLUSION. 



EDWARD'S labours were now drawing to a close. He 

 had fought the fight of science inch by inch, until he 

 could fight no more. He had also fought the fight 

 of honest poverty a great triumph and a great 



glory. 



The honest man, though e'er sae poor, 

 Is king o' men, for a' that. 



It is said that the man who can pay his way is 

 not poor. Edward could always do that. He was in 

 no man's debt. He had lived within his means, small 

 though they were. Towards the end of his life, he 

 could only earn about eight shillings a week. But 

 his children were now growing up ; and as he had 

 helped them in their youth, they now helped him in 

 his age. 



He had become prematurely old. His consti- 

 tution had been seriously injured by his continuous 

 exposure to the night air. He had repeated illnesses 

 inflammations of the throat and lungs, inflamma- 

 tions of the stomach and bowels each attack ren- 

 dering him weaker than before, until at last he 

 altogether gave up his researches, and confined him- 



