Encouraging Counsel. 71 



with him, making him read and answer questions and 

 utter such words as he rightly considered difficult for 

 a stammerer to pronounce. He then said that he had 

 had several students with worse hesitation in speaking, 

 who had nevertheless succeeded well ; that he had not 

 the least doubt that, if Robertson acquired the requisite 

 knowledge, he would find a way to communicate it ; 

 that his success would depend on his own industry ; 

 and that, as to his age, that would only make him a 

 few years later in finishing his studies than he other- 

 wise would have been. 



David was satisfied with what this clear-sighted 

 friend told him, and without further wavering re- 

 solved to make the venture, however it might turn 

 out. It should be borne in mind that Latin was not 

 then considered of the same importance to the 

 medical man as it is now. To be able to read the 

 pharmacopoeia was all that was required. 



He now arranged with his old playmates referred to 

 above, Robert Miller and John Miller, to try and get 

 a room that would accommodate all three of them. 

 If that could be obtained, they thought that they could 

 manage much more economically than in separate 

 lodgings. They were able to hire an attic with two 

 apartments, abutting against the Cross Steeple, with 

 two windows looking on to the Trongate. They could 

 step out of the windows on to the balcony which ran 

 along the front of the building, and look over and see 

 what was going or in the street below. Bedding 

 David obtained from his mother, and they procured in 

 the town the rest of the not very elaborate outfit which 

 they required. 



