“Ibegantohaveawishforatelescope，bymeansofwhichI
mightbeabletoseealittlemorethanwithmynakedeyes。ButIfoundthatIcouldnotgetanythingofmuchuse，shortof20L。
Icouldnotforalongtimefeeljustifiedinspendingsomuchmoneyformyownpersonalenjoyment。Mychildrenwerethenyounganddependentuponme。Theyrequiredtoattendschool——foreducationisathingthatparentsmustnotneglect，withaviewtothefuture。However，abouttheyear1875，myattentionwascalledtoacheapinstrumentadvertisedbySolomon——whathecalledhis’5L。telescope。’Ipurchasedone，andittantalisedme；forthepoweroftheinstrumentwassuchastoteachmenothingofthesurfaceoftheplanets。Afterusingitforabouttwoyears，Isoldittoastudent，andthenfoundthatIhadaccumulatedenoughsavingstoenablemetobuymypresentinstrument。Willyoucomeintothenextroomandlookatit？“
Iwentaccordinglyintotheadjoiningroom，andlookedatthenewtelescope。Itwastakenfromitscase，putuponitstripod，andlookedinbeautifulcondition。Itisarefractor，madebyCookeandSonsofYork。Theobjectglassisthreeinches；thefocallengthforty-threeinches；andthetelescope，whendrawnout，withthepancraticeyepieceattached，isaboutfourfeet。ItwasmadeafterMr。Robertson’sdirections，andisasortofcombinationofinstruments。
“Eventhatinstrument，“heproceeded，“goodasitisforthemoney，tantalisesmeyet。Alookthroughafixedequatorial，suchaseverylargeobservatoryisfurnishedwithisagloriousview。IshallneverforgetthesightthatIgotwhenatDunechtObservatory，towhichIwasinvitedthroughthekindnessofDr。
Copeland，theEarlofCrawfordandBalcarres’principalastronomer。
“YouaskmewhatIhavedoneinastronomicalresearch？IamsorrytosayIhavebeenabletodolittleexcepttogratifymyowncuriosity；andeventhen，asIsay，Ihavebeenmuchtantalised。Ihavewatchedthespotsonthesunfromdaytodaythroughobscuredglasses，sincetheyear1878，andmademanydrawingsofthem。Mr。RandCapron，theastronomer，ofGuildown，Guildford，desiredtoseethesedrawings，andafterexpressinghissatisfactionwiththem，hesentthemtoMr。Christie，AstronomerRoyal，Greenwich。Althoughphotographsofthesolarsurfacewerepreferred，Mr。Capronthoughtthatmysketchesmightsupplygapsinthepartiallycloudydays，aswellasdetailswhichmightnotappearonthephotographicplates。IreceivedaverykindletterfromMr。Christie，inwhichhesaidthatitwouldbeverydifficulttomaketheresultsobtainedfromdrawings，howeveraccurate，atallcomparablewiththosederivedfromphotographs；especiallyasregardstheaccuratesizeofthespotsascomparedwiththediameterofthesun。Andnodoubtheisright。
“What，doIsuppose，isthecauseofthesespotsinthesun？
Well，thatisaverydifficultquestiontoanswer。Changesareconstantlygoingonatthesun’ssurface，or，Imayrathersay，inthesun’sinterior，andmakingthemselvesapparentatthesurface。Sometimestheygoonwithenormousactivity；atothertimestheyaremorequiet。Theyrecuralternatelyinperiodsofsevenoreightweeks，whiletheseagainarealsosubjecttoaperiodofaboutelevenyears——thatis，theshortrecurringoutburstsgoonforsomeyears，whentheyattainamaximum，fromwhichtheygoondecreasing。ImaysaythatwearenowAugust1883at，orverynear，amaximumepoch。Thereisnodoubtthatthisperiodhasanintimateconnectionwithourauroraldisplays；
butIdon’tthinkthattheinfluencesun-spotshaveonlightorheatisperceptible。Whateverinfluencetheypossesswouldbefeltalikeonthewholeterrestrialglobe。Wehavewet，dry，cold，andwarmyears，buttheyarenevergeneral。Thekindofseasonwhichprevailsinonecountryisoftenquitereversedinanotherperhapsintheadjacentone。Notsowithourauroraldisplays。Theyareuniversalonbothsidesoftheglobe；andfrompoletopolethemagneticneedletremblesduringtheircontinuance。Someauthoritiesareofopinionthattheseeleven-yearcyclesaresubjecttoalargercycle，butsun-spotobservationshavenotexistedlongenoughtodeterminethispoint。Formyself，Ihaveagreatdifficultyinforminganopinion。Ihaveverylittledoubtthatthespotsaredepressionsonthesurfaceofthesun。Thisismoreapparentwhenthespotisonthelimb。Ihaveoftenseentheedgeveryruggedandunevenwhengroupsoflargespotswereabouttocomeroundontheeastside。Ihavecommunicatedsomeofmyobservationsto’TheObservatory，’themonthlyreviewofastronomy，editedbyMr。
Christie，nowAstronomerRoyal，[2]aswellastoTheScotsmam，andsomeofourlocalpapers。[3]
“Ihavealsotakenuptheobservationofvariablestarsinalimitedportionoftheheavens。That，and’huntingforcomets’
isaboutalltherealastronomicalworkthatanamateurcandonowadaysinourclimate，withathree-inchtelescope。IamgreatlyindebtedtotheEarlofCrawfordandBalcarres，whoregularlysendsmecircularsofallastronomicaldiscoveries，bothinthisandforeigncountries。Iwillgiveaninstanceoftheusefulnessofthesecirculars。Onthemorningofthe4thofOctober，1880，acometwasdiscoveredbyHartwig，ofStrasburg，intheconstellationofCorona。HetelegraphedittoDunechtObservatory，fifteenmilesfromAberdeen。Thecircularsannouncingthediscoverywereprintedanddespatchedbyposttovariousastronomers。Mycircularreachedmeby7P。M。，and，thenightbeingfavourable，Idirectedmytelescopeuponthepartoftheheavensindicated，andfoundthecometalmostatonce——thatis，withinfifteenhoursofthedateofitsdiscoveryatStrasburg。
“InApril，1878，alargemeteorwasobservedinbroaddaylight，passingfromsouthtonorth，andfallingitwassupposed，abouttwentymilessouthofBallater。Mr。A。S。Herschel，ProfessorofPhysicsintheCollegeofScience，’Newcastle-on-Tyne，publishedaletterinTheScotsmam，intimatinghisdesiretobeinformedoftheparticularsofthemeteor’sflightbythosewhohadseenit。
AsIwasoneofthosewhohadobservedthesplendidmeteorflashnorthwardsalmostunderthefaceofthebrightsunat10。25
A。M，IsenttheProfessorafullaccountofwhatIhadseen，forwhichheprofessedhisstrongobligations。ThisledtoaverypleasantcorrespondencewithProfessorHerschel。Afterthis，I
devotedconsiderableattentiontometeors，andsentmanycontributionsto’TheObservatory’onthesubject。[4]
“YouaskmewhatarethehoursatwhichImakemyobservations？
Iamdueattherailwaystationatsixinthemorning，andI
leaveatsixintheevening；butIhavetwohoursduringthedayformealsandrest。SometimesIgetaglanceattheheavensinthewintermorningswhentheskyisclear，huntingforcomets。
Myobservationsonthesunareusuallymadetwiceadayduringmymealhours，orintheearlymorningorlateateveninginsummer，whilethesunisvisible。Yes，youareright；Itryandmakethebestuseofmytime。ItismuchtooshortforallthatIproposetodo。Myeveningsaremyown。Whentheheavensareclear，I
watchthem；whenobscured，therearemybooksandletters。
“Dr。AlexanderBrown，ofArbroath，isoneofmycorrespondents。
IhavesenthimmydrawingsoftheringsofSaturn，ofJupiter’sbeltandsatellites。Dr。RalphCopeland，ofDunecht，isalsoaverygoodfriendandadviser。Occasionally，too，Isendaccountsofsolardisturbances，cometawithinsight，eclipses，andoccultations，totheScotsman，theDundeeEveningTelegraphandEveningNews，ortotheBlairgowrieAdvertiser。Besides，Iamthelocalobserverofmeteorology，andcommunicateregularlywithMr。Symons。Thesethingsentirelyfillupmytime。
“DoIintendalwaystoremainarailwayporter？Oh，yes；Iamverycomfortable！Thecompanyareverykindtome，andIhopeI
servethemfaithfully。ItistrueSheriffBarclayhas，withoutmyknowledge，recommendedmetoseveralwell-knownastronomersasanobserver。Butatmytimeoflifechangesarenottobedesired。IamquitesatisfiedtogoonasIamdoing。Myyoungpeoplearegrowingup，andarewillingtoworkforthemselves。
Butcome，sir，“heconcluded，“comeintothegarden，andlookatthemoonthroughmytelescope。“
Wewentintothegardenaccordingly，butacloudwasoverthemoon，andwecouldnotseeit。Atthetopofthegardenwastheself-registeringbarometer，thepitchertomeasuretherainfall，andtheotherapparatusnecessarytoenablethe“Diagramofbarometer，thermometer，rain，andwind“tobeconducted，sofarasCouparAngusisconcerned。ThisMr。Robertsonhasdoneforfouryearspast。Asthehourwaslate，andasIknewthatmyentertainermustbeupbysixnextmorning，Itookmyleave。
Aman’scharacteroftenexhibitsitselfinhisamusements。OnemusthaveahighrespectforthecharacterofJohnRobertson，wholooksatthemannerinwhichhespendshissparetime。Hisastronomicalworkisaltogetheralabouroflove。Itishishobby；andtheworkingmanmayhavehishobbyaswellastherich。Inhiscaseheisneverlessidlethanwhenidle。Somemaythinkthatheiscastinghisbreaduponthewaters，andthathemayfinditaftermanydays。Butitisnotwiththisobjectthathecarriesonhisleisure-hourpursuits。Somehavetried——
sheriffBarclayamongothers[5]——toobtainappointmentsforhiminconnectionwithastronomicalobservation；otherstosecureadvancementforhiminhisownline。Butheisamanwhoissatisfiedwithhislot——oneoftherarestthingsonearth。
Perhapsitisbylookingsomuchuptotheheavensthathehasbeenenabledtoobtainhisportionofcontentment。
NextmorningIfoundhimbusyatthestation，makingarrangementsforthedepartureofthepassengertrainforPerth，andevidentlyuponthebestoftermswitheverybody。AndhereIleaveJohnRobertson，thecontentedCouparAngusastronomer。
SomeyearsagoIreceivedfrommyfriendMr。NasmythaletterofintroductiontothelateMr。CookeofYork，whilethelatterwasstillliving。Ididnotpresentitatthetime；butInowproposedtovisit，onmyreturnhomewards，theestablishmentwhichhehadfoundedatYorkforthemanufactureoftelescopesandotheropticalinstruments。Indeed，whatamanmaydoforhimselfaswellasforscience，cannotbebetterillustratedthanbythelifeofthisremarkableman。