SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR'S LIFE. 27 



ture was delivered in most of the towns and villages 

 in the Border district, and the proceeds were suffici- 

 ently respectable to promise, by his extending his 

 tour, what would be a nest egg for the wants of his 

 advancing years. A number of his Border friends 

 resident in Glasgow invited him to the western 

 metropolis to deliver the lecture there. He was 

 able to accomplish the visit, but with unfavourable 

 results to himself. Exposure to extremely severe 

 weather during his movements, brought on an attack 

 of rheumatism, which prostrated and confined him 

 to his lodgings for several weeks. The attendant 

 expense of this misfortune melted away most of his 

 gains, and he reached Lessudden as poor as ever. 



During the long and severe winter of 1859-60 he 

 was seldom seen abroad, and did not regain much 

 strength. Generally cheerful and unrepining, he 

 began to confess himself as growing old, and less able 

 for active work at his ordinary trade. In conversation 

 on some of his favourite topics, he regretted he had 

 accomplished so small a portion of what he felt was 

 within his reach. He had a fancy he could prepare 

 several papers on some of the social changes which 

 had come under his observation furnishing sketches 

 of the rural improvements and altering condition of 

 the population, and cognate subjects. Work of this 



