Sometimes he wad sit for hours by
Geordie's grave, an' fancy that he talked wi' him. On these occasions
nothing wad induce him to leave the grave till some ither fancy
attracted his mind. As I hae before said he was never outrageous, but
seemed most o' the time, when silent, to be in deep thought; but his
reason was quite gone, and the doctors allowed that his case was beyond
cure. Many questioned them as to whether it were safe to allow him his
liberty, lest he might do some deed o' violence; but they gave it as
their opinion that his disease was'na a' ta' likely to tak' that turn
wi' him, an' so was left to wander on. He never bided verra lang in a
place, but wandered frae house to house through a' the country-side: and
every one treated him wi' kindness. The sight o' a bonny fair-haired boy
aye gave him muckle pleasure, an' he wad whiles hae the idea that
Geordie had cam' back to him. From the day o' Geordie's death to that o'
his ain', which took place a month sine, he was n'er kenned to taste
strong drink; he could'na bear even the sight o' it. He lived to a verra
great age, an' for many years they who did'na ken the story o' his early
life ha'e ca'd him Wanderin' Davy.
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