HUGH MILLER. 107 



save that he indulged in a brief pause as the twilight came on, 

 and took a mile's walk or so, were usually protracted from six 

 o'clock in the morning till ten at night Such incessant 

 occupation left him little time for reading ; but he often found 

 some one to read beside him during the day; and in the 

 winter evenings his portable bench used to be brought from 

 his shop at the other end of the dwelling, into the family 

 sitting-room, and placed beside the circle round the hearth, 

 where his brother Alexander, my younger uncle, whose occu- 

 pation left his evenings free, would read aloud from some 

 interesting volume for the general benefit, placing himself 

 always at the opposite side of the bench, so as to share in the 

 light of the worker. Occasionally the family circle would be 

 widened by the accession of from two to three intelligent 

 neighbours, who would drop in to listen ; and then the book, 

 after a space, would be laid aside, in order that its contents 

 might be discussed in conversation. In the summer months, 

 Uncle James always spent some time in the country in looking 

 after and keeping in repair the harness of the farmers for 

 whom he wrought ; and during his journeys and twilight walks 

 on these occasions, there was not an old castle, or hill fort, or 

 ancient encampment, or antique ecclesiastical edifice, within 

 twenty miles of the town, which he had not visited and 

 examined over and over again. He was a keen local antiquary, 

 knew a good deal about the architectural styles of the various 

 ages at a time when these subjects were little studied or 

 known, and possessed more traditionary lore, picked up 

 chiefly in his country journeys, than any man I ever knew. 

 What he once heard he never forgot, and the knowledge which 

 he had acquired he could communicate pleasingly and suc- 

 cinctly, in a style which, had he been a writer of books, instead 



