Talking with so many of his friends, and visiting so many of his people, whose delight it was to speak of him, to recall his words and ways, and to retail the anecdotes that were currentabout him (some of them difficult to verify, but all of them characteristic of the man), my previous acquaintance with Gilfillan, mostly at a distance, seemed to deepen into intimacy, and his strong and vigorous personality became more and more distinct.