6
CALF-LOVE.
The long and the short is, that I was sent to school, where I learned to read and spell, making great progress in the Single's and Mother's Carritch. Na, what is more, few could fickle me in the Bible, being mostly able to spell it all over, save the second of Ezra and the seventh of Nehemiah, which the Dominie himself could never read through twice in the same way.
My father, to whom I was born, like Isaac to Abraham, in his old age, was an elder in the Relief Kirk, respected by all for his canny and doure behaviour, and, as I have observed before, a weaver to his trade. The cot and the kail yard were his own, and had been auld granfather's; but still he had to ply the shuttle from Monday to Saturday, to keep all right and tight. The thrums were a perquisite of my own, which I niffered with the gundywife for Gibraltar rock, cut-throat, gib, or bullseyes.
Having come into the world before my time, and being of a pale face and delicate make, Nature never could have intended me for the naval or military line, or for any robustious trade or profession whatsoever. No, no, I never liked fighting in my life; peace was aye in my thoughts. When there was any riot in the streets, I fled, and scougged myself at the chumley-lug as quickly as I dowed; and, rather then double a nieve, to a school-fellow, I pocketed many shabby epithets, got my paikes, and took the coucher's blow from laddies that could hardly reach up to my waistband.
Just after I was put to my 'prenticeship, having made free choice of the tailoring trade, I had a terrible stoand of calf-love. Never shall I forget it. I was growing up, long and lank as a willow-wand. Brawns to my legs there were none, as my trowsers
