John Joy Bell

“ Weel, there wis a young leddy's hat—a beautiful hat—an' it wis nae stranger to me, fur the young leddy—she's Miss Smith, Doctor Smith's dochter—sits in oor kirk no' faur whaur we sit. Aw, it wis a beautiful hat, a' trimmed wi' roses, rid yins an' yella yins an' bew—na! there wisna ony bew yins. An' whit d'ye think it wis priced at the jumble sale? Whit d'ye think, Mistress M'Crae?”
"A jumble sale is a verra different thing to a bazaur." “I'm shair I cudna guess, Mistress Murray.” ”

“ M”Crae, regaining her good humor.
“Weel, I wis thinkin' o' buyin' a fender, if I cud get yin aboot fowerpence.”
“A fender fur fowerpence!”
“Jist that! I've seen fenders gaun fur less. Of coorse, they're no' jist bran new, an' whiles they're gey sair bashed an' roostit. But it's wunnerfu' whit ye can dae wi' elbow-greace.”
“Fine I ken that, Mistress Murray, fine I ken that! But a fender fur fowerpence! I never heard the like!”
"Wha wudna let ye sit doon?" “Aw, that's naethin' to whit ye'll see afore ye're dune! Mind, if yer wantin' to buy onythin', dinna gi'e the leddies a' they ask. ”

“ An', mind ye, I've heard o' folk buyin' auld things fur hauf naethin' an' sellin' them efter fur five pound—ay, an' ten pound!”
“It bates a'! Whit kin' o' things, Mistress Murray?”
“Picturs, an' clocks, an' cheeny, an' ither things that's aulder nor they're bonnie. I mind hearin' o' a wife wha bocht a pictur fur a shullin'. The gless wis broke, an' she tuk it to a man fur to get a new gless. An' whenever the man seen the pictur he speirt if she wud sell it. ”