When John Dickson was promoted to assist in waiting at table, an incident occurred, which no doubt had some influence on his dreams, if not on his fortunes.  A stranger, in regimentals, was at dinner one day, and being prepossessed by the lad’s pleasing manners and expression of face, he turned to him, and clapping him on the shoulder, said:  ’I was once in your present station, my boy, and if you are steady, and behave well, you may one day rise to be in mine.’  The speaker was Dr Miller, a physician in the army.  John, however, had few dreams and little ambition.  He was not what is commonly called a genius; but he possessed sterling qualities of head and heart, perseveringly cultivated his natural abilities, and invariably conducted himself with the greatest propriety.  It was no wonder, then, that he became a general favourite in the family; and that, when he carried the game-bag for the gentlemen, they purposely made long detours, and met him again at an appointed spot, in order to give him an hour at his book; for John always had a book in his pocket for a spare moment.  Once, indeed, this custom occasioned some annoyance to his master, whom he had accompanied to a shooting-hut in the moors, nicknamed ‘Grouse Hall,’ where the unfortunate laird was detained by an intolerable fit of gout; a circumstance not apt to engender patience and resignation, especially when, from the other side of the cloth partition which divided the single apartment of the hut, he heard bursts of laughter pealing forth in succession—­for John Dickson had managed to carry off a copy of Don Quixote to the moors.

When the younger sons of the family were sent to college in Edinburgh, John was chosen to accompany them.  Let us now see how he conducted himself in this new and trying field; for trying it is.  Country lads, in coming to a large town, meet with many temptations, and by these, hundreds of them fall.  They cannot resist petty attractions to amusement and misspending of time.  They enjoy themselves while they should work.  They take to fun, instead of to labour.  Well; to which did our hero attach himself?  To regular, hard work, to be sure.  He had the good sense to see, that here was his chance of getting on in the world.  While other lads were amusing themselves at the theatre, or kicking their heels about the street, or hanging about the auction-rooms in front of the college, John Dickson stuck hard to his books.  He also availed himself of other advantages connected with his situation.  The tutor of the family in which he was employed was John Barclay, afterwards the celebrated anatomist, whose valuable museum was bequeathed to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, on condition that they would build a hall, and form a more extended collection, which has been fulfilled.  At this time, Dr Barclay had commenced his private lectures on anatomy, which soon became popular; and John made himself so useful in the arrangement of the classroom, that the doctor was induced to encourage