Wild Daffodil at Chirnside. By Dr. Chas. Stuart. 541 



and its culture was not again attempted for some years. The 

 readiness with which all the Brassicce hybridize was not then 

 understood, and he had failed to notice the true cause of failure, 

 which was that a plant of Curled Greens had been allowed to 

 flower alongside the Swedish Turnips. Mr Hall's most notable 

 characteristic was his almost incredible absent-mindedness. 

 Many amusing stories illustrative of this peculiarity used to be 

 told, one of which I am able to recall. On an autumn afternoon, 

 Mr Hall had strolled up the Blackadder on a botanizing errand, 

 and had got in front of Kelloe House, when he was accosted by 

 Colonel Buchan, who insisted on his going in with him to dinner. 

 On reaching the house, Mr Hall was shown to a bedroom to tidy 

 himself a little. By-and-bye dinner was announced, but the 

 guest failed to appear. After some delay, a man-servant was 

 sent to summon him more specially, who presently returned with 

 the report that Mr Hall was in bed — the fact being, that finding 

 himself in a bedroom with the shutters shut, candles lit, and bed. 

 made down, he had forgotten all about dinner or where he was, 

 and had undressed and gone to bed. Such escapades as these 

 were only amusing ; but this mental defect led to disastrous 

 failure in the most important enterprise of his life. He had 

 successfully wooed a young lady ; a day had been fixed for the 

 marriage ; the company had assembled ; but the bridegroom 

 failed to appear. He had forgotten even this important tryst, 

 which so affronted the bride that she refused to have any thing- 

 more to do with him. A common Berwickshire saying applied 

 to forgetful people is : — 



' Ye're as bad as Willie Ha', 

 Wha forgot his Wedding-day.' 

 He died a bachelor. I have already mentioned his enthusi- 

 astic pursuit of Botany. This led to his writing a treatise on 

 some department of that science, which he went to London 

 on express purpose to get printed and published. On reaching 

 London, he drove in a hackney coach to the shop of a bookseller 

 he was acquainted with, having his manuscript lying on the 

 cushion beside him. On reaching his destination, he went into 

 the publisher's place of business, and had a full discussion with 

 him about the bringing out of the book. The publisher at length 

 said : ' Well, Mr Hall, I think we have arranged everything, 

 where is your manuscript ? ' Aye ! where was the manuscript ? 

 It had gone with the discharged coach, and was never more 

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