"And you,
ye thowless jade, to sit still and see my substance disponed upon to
an idle, drunken, reprobate, worm-eaten serving-man, just because he
kittles the lugs o' a silly auld wife wi' useless clavers, and every twa
words a lee? I'll gar you as gude----"
Here the minister interposed, both by voice and action, while Dame
Lightbody threw herself in front of her daughter, and flourished her
ladle.
"Am I no to chastise my ain wife?" exclaimed the cooper very
indignantly.
"Ye may chastise your ain wife if ye like," answered Dame Lightbody;
"but ye shall never lay finger on my daughter, and that ye may found
upon." "For shame, Mr. Girder!" said the clergyman; "this is what I
little expected to have seen of you, that you suld give rein to your
sinful passions against your nearest and your dearest, and this night
too, when ye are called to the most solemn duty of a Christian parent;
and a' for what? For a redundancy of creature-comforts, as worthless as
they are unneedful."
"Worthless!" exclaimed the cooper. "A better guse never walkit on
stubble; two finer, dentier wild ducks never wat a feather.
Pages:
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273