Dougal Graham

“ Mith, Ay, brose! black brose indeed for thee, wy bairn; her’s Marion Mushet saying ye hae gotten her dochter wi’ bairn.
Jock. Me, mither! I never lay in a bed wi‘ her dochter a‘ my days ; it‘ll be the young Laird‘s for a saw him kiss her at the Lammmas-fair and let glaum at her nonsence.
Mith. Ay, ay, my man, Johnny, that‘s the way she has gotten her belly full o‘ bairns ; ‘tis no you nor the like o‘ you, poor innocent lad, that gets bastard weans; 'tis a wheen rambling o'erfull lowns, ilka ane o‘ them loups on anith’er, and gies the like o‘ you the wyte o‘t. ”

“ Mar. A wae be to him and his actions baith, he's the father o't, fornicator dog that he is, he's ruined me and my bairn; I bore her and brought her up honestly, till she came to you: her father died, and left me wi' four o' them; there wasna ane o' them could pit on anither’s claes, or tak a louse aff ither.
Mith. I bid you baud your tongue, and no even your bystarts to my bairn, for he'll ne'er tak wi't: he, poor silly lad, he wad ne'er look to a lass, be's to lay her down. Fy, Maggy, cry in John and let's ratify't wi’ the auld ruddoch; aye, ye're no blate to say sae. ”

“ Up gets auld Rabby, and auld Sandy, the souter o' Seggyhole, and put every thing in order; they prapet up the bed wi’ a rake and rippling kame; the stoups being broken they made a solid foundation o’ peats, laid on the caff bed and bowsters, and Jockey and Maggy were bedet the second time.
Jockey not being used to he wi’ a naked woman, except heads and thraws wi’ his mither, gets his twa hands about the bride’s neck, and his hough out-o’er her hurdies saying, I ne'er kist wife nor lass naked before, and for fainness I’ll bite you, &c. ”

“ Jockey's mither fell a-flyting, and he himself a-rubbing his lugs, and riving his hair, crying out, O gin were but half an ell higher, I sud be a sod-ger or it be lang; and gie me a good flail or a corn fork, I sud kill Frenchmen anew, before I gade to face yon flyting Ministers, and be set up like a warld’s wonder, on their cock-stool, or black stool: and wha can hide the shame when every body looks to them, wi’ their sacken sarks, or gowns, on them, like a piece of auld canvas prickt about a body, for naething but what every body does amaist or they are married ”

“ Jockey. Hey, Maggy, wiltu stay and tak kent folks hame wi' ye the night.
Maggy. Wiltu come awa' then Johnnie, I fain wad be hame or the kie come in; our mickle Riggy is sic a rummeling royte she rins aye thro' the byre, and sticks a' the bits o' couties; my mither isna able to haud her up to her ain stake.
Jock. Hute, we'll be hame in braw time woman. And how's a' your folks at hame?
Mag. Indeed I canna weel tell you man; our gude man is a' gane wi' the gont; my mither is very frail, my father he's aye wandering about, and widdling amang the beasts. ”

“ Ben comes the bride, when she got on her coat, clappet Rabby's shoulder, and bade him spare their lives, for their was blood enough shed in ae night, quoth she; and that my beard can witness, quoth he. ”

“ Aye, aye, and that gars your son be so good o't as he is; the thing that:s red in the flesh, is ill to pit out of the ane.
Mith. Daft woman, what way wad the warld stand if folks wadna mak use of ither? Tis the thing that's natural bairns getting; therefore it s no to be scunner'd at.
Mag. Aye, aye, but an they be for the like o' that, they should marry.
Mith. But I think there's little ill though hey try it ance or twice or they be married; ‘tis an unco thing for a body to be bound to a business or they ken whether they be able for it or no. ”

“ Mag. Na, na, he maun hae a brawer lass to be his wife than the like o' me; but auld Tammy Tailtree was seeking me; my father wad a hane me to tak him. but my mither wadna let; there was an odd bebate about it, my guidame wad a sticket my mither wi' the grape, if my father hadna chanced to founder her wi' the beetle.
Jock. Hech, woman, I think your father was a fool tor fashing wi' him, auld slavery dufe, he wants naething of a cow but the clutes; your guid me may tak him hersel, twa auld tottering stumps, the taen may isair the tither fu' weel. ”