1 1 6 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



their banking accounts gradually mounted up, they 

 became eager enough to increase them still further. 

 Many of these people would come to him as a respon- 

 sible householder, to sign papers for them certifying 

 that they were without sufficient means to pay poor- 

 rates. There were many really necessitous cases, and 

 his word was always accepted on the subject by the 

 authorities. Among other applicants was one, Alice 

 Duffy, whom he had led into the ways of thrift, and 

 who had, in fact, accumulated sixty pounds in the 

 bank. Nevertheless she was continually pestering 

 him to sign such a certificate for her, although he 

 pointed out that it could not be honestly done. At 

 last her persistence could be resisted no longer, 

 and he wrote some lines for her to the following 

 effect : 



" Alice Duffy is a very industrious, hard-working 

 person, who is possessed of ample means to pay the 

 usual poor-rates." 



Highly delighted, she carried her paper to the office, 

 and it was passed round from clerk to clerk, Alice 

 being ready with her praises to every one of Mr. 

 Robertson as a dear good man. At last one of the 

 clerks asked whether she had read the paper. No. 

 She could not read. So then he read it to her, and 

 her delight was changed into indignation, which was 

 not much soothed when she returned to the ware- 

 house, and found her complaints met with shouts of 

 laughter from every one. In time she forgave the 

 jest, paid her rates without murmuring, and increased 

 her store at the bank. The practical joke of which 

 she was the victim may seem rather a severe one, 



