John Joy Bell

“ Aw, I wis that ashamed, Mistress Murray, I wis that ashamed. I tried to eat ma pastry, but it wis like to choke me; an' yinst or twicet I wis near gettin' up an' fleein' awa' hame. But I thocht it wis best to keep ma sate, an' efter a wee the folk stoppit frae lukin' at me, an' the wean that Mistress Blaikie had near droondit wi' the tea says to me, the daurlin', says she, 'I ken it wisna you, mistress.' An' that garr'd me feel a wee thing easier, an' I gi'ed her ma pastry. ”

“ I wis gaun to tell ye aboot the tea. My! I wis that affrontit wi' Mistress Blaikie! Aw, ye never seen sic a thing, Mistress Murray!”
“Whit wis that? She wisna poochin', shairly.”
“Na, na. But she wis poorin' oot the tea frae yin o' thon things, an'—”
“Ye mean the urn.”
“Mphm. She wis fillin' her ain cup when she begood to sneeze, an' pu'ed back her haun' quick, ye ken. But her finger wis catched in the wee handle, an' she pu'ed ower the hale affair an' broke twa cups an' a saucer, an' drookit a' her pastries, an' soakit her claes, an' gey near droondit a wean wha wis settin' aside her. ”

“ The kettle's jist on the bile, an' we'll ha'e a dish o' tea, an' I'll tell ye a' aboot the suree, an' welcome. It wis an unco peety ye cudna gang, but it wis a mercy ye hadna peyed fur yer tuckets, you an' yer man. I mind when auld Mistress Wallace's man got two tuckets fur a suree an' peyed fur them jist three days afore he dee'd; an', if ye'll believe me, Mistress Murray, Mistress Wallace has thae tuckets yet, an' they're near twal' year auld. ”