24
a pair of beard shears, said he, and give me them eheap, so I sold him a pair of B. shears, for three halfpence, and gave him a needle, then parted good friends after the battle was over.
So I went to Linlithgow that night, where I met with Drouthy Tom, my sweet and dear companion, and here we held a most terrible eneounter with the tippenny for twa nights and a day: and then we set out for Fife, on the hair order, by the way of Torryburn and Culross; and eoming up to a parcel of women washing by a water-side, I buys one of their hair; the time I was cutting it off, Tom fell a eourting and kissing and clapping one of them, who was of the haveral sort: what happened I know not, but she eried, Ye misleard filthy fallow, ye put your hand atween my feet, mair need another thing sud be there; an ill chance on your pieture, cried an auld wife, for many a ane has taen me bjr there in daffin, and I never said a word about it; ye daft jade, eanna ye haud your tongue whan it's your ain shame that ye speak. Gae awa, cried the lass, he, filthy body, that he is, the last chapman that kissed me had a horse paek, but he'll hae naething in his but a wisp of strae, some auld breeks, hair-skins, maukinskins, ony thing that fills the bag and bears bouk, and yet he wad kiss and handle me, I was made for a better fallow; ane o' them eame bye ae day and selled our Meg twa ell and a quarter o' linen, to be her bridal sark; for he had nae mair, and when she made it, and put it on, it wadna hide her———heeh, hech, hech, he.
FINIS.
