ioo The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



insisted on visiting her mother, who was sick of 

 a fever, was herself seized by it, and, after a short 

 illness, died. They had had two children by the 

 marriage, a son and a daughter, but both died while 

 still young, the second child being buried at the same 

 time with its mother. 



The two places of business could not now very well 

 be carried on separately. The narrow passage between 

 them was therefore bridged over, and by this means 

 the two places were thrown into one. As their traffic 

 extended from year to year, enlargements of the 

 premises were carried out. There is little to be 

 recorded of this period of Robertson's life. He had 

 to distract his thoughts as well as he could by exer- 

 tions, the motive for which had been so greatly and 

 so suddenly weakened. For a lengthened period he 

 made his home with his partner and his partner's 

 family, an arrangement convenient for the purposes of 

 their common work, and relieving his solitary estate 

 by the companionship of closely-connected friends. 



