Possible Clues:

• He retired before the youngster?
• Recluse finding existence empty about to give up
• Before one is very small one is very solitary
• A man withdrawn before time, perhaps
• Before the young child became a recluse
• One alone before getting so tiny
• Before one is tiny one is solitary
• Recluse using Early English timer
• Recluse, hermit
• Is there e'er a little bit, by the sound of it, for the solitary one?