Page:Martha Spreull by Zachary Fleming.pdf/124

mortal affronted when I thocht o’ the ostentatious way I had pressed her to tak’ the gratuity; but I made up for the mistake when I got back to the town, for I went straight to the Polytechnick Warehouse, and bocht as muckle print-claith as wud mak’ a new wrapper, the which I despatched the same efternoon by the Kilmarnock carrier. When I got hame, I found a letter waiting for me from Maister Fleming, the writer, to say that his housekeeper had been seized with a grievous bodily ailment, about which he wanted to consult me. Poor man, he wis sorely put aboot, having had but little experience o’ sickness in his ain person or family. Weel, as he had dune services to me at divers times, it wis but the pairt o’ a Christian wumman to do what lay in my power for him in his time o’ need. He had twa servingwomen, but they had nae hands for a sick invalid that needed carefu’ and constant attention. So I saw Dr. Dandylyon wha attended the case, and, wi’ his approval, engaged the services o’ a professional sick nurse. This wis a sair job! But efter speirin’ here, and speirin’ there, as to the moral character, steadiness, and the like, o’ the candidates, I fixed on ane wi’ an excellent Christian character, written by a minister. Noo, thinks I, here is just the wumman for the place, so I gaed hame wi’ her, and saw the body settled. Maister Fleming, I must alloo, wis unco uplifted at getting this service done for him, and visited me twa or three times a-week to seek my advice. At first ho wis just as jocose and licht-hearted as a man wi’ a sick hoosekeeper at hame could be, but at the end o’ the second week I saw he had something on his mind. “ Noo,” says I, “ what is’t that’s fashin’ ye ? I shouldna offer advice to a professional man, still I’ve heard tell that doctors dinna like to prescribe for themselves. If ye hae ony trouble at hame, maybe I can help ye.” He wis unco sweert to speak oot.