Page:Ancient and modern history of Buckhaven in Fife-shire.pdf/11

 round the Bass and back again, or he did the like again: For Wise Willy gade wood at the wean, and said, it had mair ill nature in't, nor the auldest wife about the town; it piss'd the bed, and shit the bed, it skirl'd like a will-cat, and kept him frae his night's rest and a' the auld haggs about the town, ca'd him Sandy, the bairn's daddy. And, after a', the bleir-ein'd bellman came and summoned him and her before the hally band, a court that is held in the kirk on Saturday morning. But Wise Willy had pity upon them, and gade wi' then to the kirk-court, what learned folks ca’ the session. Jenny was first called upon, and in she goes, where all the bally band were conveened, wi' their white-headed staves, and their hoddin-grey jockey-coats about them. Mess John says, Come away, Janet, we're a' waiting on ye here. Min.—Now, Janet, where was this child gotten? You must tell plainly. Jan.—A-deed, stir, it was gotten amang the black stanes, at the cheek o' the crab-holes. Mess John stares at her, not knowing the place, but some elders did. Then said he, O Janet the de'il was busy with you at that time. Jan.—A by my figs, stir, that's a great lie ye're tellin' now, for the de'il wasna thereabout, it I saw, nor nae ither body, to bid us do ony thing; we lo'ed ither unco weel for a lang time before that, and syne we telld ither, and greed to marry ither, like ither honest folk; mightna we then learn to do the thing married folk does, without the de'il helping us? Whist, whist, cried they, you're speaking very undiscreetly before the session.