CHAP. xxiv. LIVING BY HIS LABOUR. 429 



" His character was thoroughly without blemish. He 

 never said an ill word of any one ; and never repeated 

 anything to another's discouragement. I regret," he 

 adds, "that so many of his curious and original discoveries 

 have been lost, because he made no communication of 

 them to others, and had a special aversion to what he 

 called ' blowing his own trumpet.' " 



Dick continued poor to the close of his life. He was 

 content to be poor, so long as he was independent, 

 and free to indulge his profound yearnings after more 

 knowledge. Though he attended carefully to his 

 business, he was not successful. He was ruined by 

 competition. The shipwreck of his flour reduced him 

 almost to beggary. But he never told his Thurso friends 

 of his losses. He was the last man to " send round the 

 hat." Like Burns, he was "owre blate to seek, owre 

 proud to snool." When his customers left him, he said 

 to one of his friends " Well, they might not have done 

 it. I have wrought long for them, and I have served 

 them well ; but it cannot be helped now." 



Charles Peach, not knowing of his losses, once said 

 to him, that "he would soon be able to save enough 

 money to retire, and give himself up wholly to scientific 

 pursuits." A gloom fell over his countenance. " Oh 

 no !" said he, " I shall never do that." But he added, 

 " Notwithstanding the opposition that has destroyed my 

 trade, I am still here a baker after all !" And he smiled 

 at the efforts which had been made to strangle him. 



Sir George Sinclair, perhaps not knowing his struggles 

 to live, said after his death "Mr. Dick's honourable 



