Storys of The bewitched fiddler (1)/Anecdote

cutting out the sly piece at the corner But, alas! for the stability of all human resolutions, our friend was sorely tempted, and how he stood we shall soon see. He had got to hand a beautiful piece of red cloth, for what purpose I know not, whether for the coat of a field officer, or the back of a fox hunter, but a prime piece of cloth that was; he turned it over to this side, and back to that, viewed it in all lights and shades, rubbed it against the grain, and found it faultless; he had never seen such a fine piece of cloth before; scissors had never before cut such immaculate stuff. He fixed his eye wistfully on a tempting corner, looked up, and his foreman John was staring firmly in his face: he had read his thoughts. 'Master, mind the sheet!' solemnly ejaculated John. 'I'm just swithering, John; I’m just swithering: now when I mind, their wasna a piece of red cloth in all the sheet; and mair by token, there was a bit gap at one of the corners; now, I'm just thinking, since it maun be that all these bit odds and ends are to be evidence against me when I come to the lang count, it would be better to snick a bit aff the corner here; and that you see, John, will fill all deficiencies, and mak the sheet, since it maun appear against me, evidence, John, without a flaw!'

ANECDOTE.

Dougal Graham, author of a well known metrical history of the rebellion in 1745, being candidate for the place of town bellman in the city of Glasgow, was desired to call "Gude fresh herrings new come in ⟨at⟩ the Broomielaw," (it not being the season of herrings), Dougal added,

"But, indeed, my friends, it’s a’ a blaeflum,
"For the herrings no catch’d, an’ the boat’s no come,

which procured for Dougal the situation.

Dougal was a kind of Scotch Æsop, ⟨he⟩ had a large humph on one of his shoulders⟨,⟩ and like his prototype, had wit. Calling ⟨in⟩ the street of the Gallogate, opposite ⟨the⟩ Saracen’s Head Inn, where several ⟨officers⟩ of the gallant 42d regiment were dining at the close of the American war, some ⟨of⟩ whom knew Dougal before they went abroad⟨,⟩ opening the window, called out, "⟨What's⟩ that you’ve got on your back, Dougal?⟨"⟩ Knowing what the regiment suffered ⟨at⟩ Bunker’s Hill, Dougal replied, "⟨It's⟩ Bunker’s Hill, do you choose to mount?”

 

FINIS.