172 Hdward Returns Home. [CHAP. x. 
After this had been settled, he went to pay a short visit to 
a friend at Gardenstown, until his wife and family had re- 
turned from Aberdeen. Edward could not bear to remain 
in his house until they had come back: nor could he yet 
pay for their journey. But the carrier, who had taken the 
collection and the family to Aberdeen, cheerfully consented 
to bring the latter back free. 
It was during this interval that Edward lived for a few 
days with his friend, Mr. Gordon, of Gardenstown. The 
place had long been one of Edward’s favorite haunts. He 
was able, in a sort of way, to enjoy the coast scenery, to see 
the busy fishermen going out to sea in the evenings, and to 
listen to the noisy clamor of the sea-fow] at Gamrie Mohr. 
When Edward knew that his wife and family had reached 
Banff, he returned home, and was joyfully met by his wife 
and bairns. Home had already begun to look more homely. 
There was a fire to sit down beside, and a family circle to 
converse with. Care, despondency, and despair had already, 
to a certain extent, been cast aside. There would yet be 
peace and plenty about the fireside. Edward threw off 
the showman’s garb, and donned that of the hard-working 
sutor.* Next morning he was busy at his trade, sewing, 
hammering, and “skelping away at the leather.” 
During the ensuing autumn and winter he passed his 
time at his ordinary daily work. He refrained from going 
out at night. He had parted with all his objects in natu- 
ral history, and he did nothing, as yet, to replace them. 
But his mind had been at work all the while. As spring 
advanced, he found it impossible to check his ruling pas- 
men, according to the branch they worked at. Those who excelled in 
proficiency were called Dons. Edward was a Don Pump man. Few 
excelled him at that part of the business. It was for this reason that 
his master objected to his leaving the shop so often on his natural- 
history excursions, as he could find no one else to do this part of the 
work so well. 
* Sutor, shoe-maker. 
