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ain dear hames and firesides, to fight for? The fief that wadna gie eut-and-thrust for his eountry, as lang as he had a breath to draw, or a leg to stand on, should be tied neck and heels, without benefit o’ clergy, and thrown ower Leith pier, to swim for his lifc like a mangy dog!
It was sometime in thc blasty month of Mareh, the weather being rawish and rainy, wi’ sharp frosty nights, that lcft all the window-soles whitewashed ower with frost-rind in the morning, that, as I was going out in the dark, afore lying doun in my bed, to gie a look into the hen-house door, and loek the coal cellar, so that I might pit the bit key intil my breek pouches, I happened to gie a keek in, and, lo and behold, the awfu’ apparition of a man wi’ a yellow jacket, lying sound asleep on a great lump o’ parrot-coal in a eorner.
In the hurry of my terror and surprise, at seeing a man with a yellow jacket, and a blue foraging-cap in such a situation, I was like to drap the guid two-penny candle, and feint clean away; but comming to mysell in a jiffy, I determined, in case it might be a high-way rubber, to thraw about the kcy, and, rinning up for the firclock, shoot him through the head instantly, if found neeessary. In turning round the key, the lock being in want of a feather o’ oil, made a noise, and waukened the puir wrctch, who jumping to the soles of his feet in despair, ericd out in a voice that was like to break my heart, though I coudna make out ae word of his paraphernally. It minded me, by a’ the world, of a wheen eats fussing and feighting through ither, and whiles
