Page:Coalman's courtship to the creel-wife's daughter (7).pdf/15

 Off he goes, steering about like a ship against the wind, as if he would make holes in the wa's and windows, with his elbows; he looked as fierce as a lion, wi' a red face like a trumpeter, and his nose was like a bublie-jock's neb, as blue as a blawart: but or he wan half way hame his head turned heavier than his heels and mony a filthy fa' he got, through thick and thin he plashed, till hame he gets at last, grunting and gaping by the wa's, that auld Mary his mither thought it was their neighbour's sow, he was sae bedaubed wi' dirt, gets him to bed, he was in a boiling barrel-fever, and poor Mary grat wi' grief.

Sawny. Hech, hey! but courting be a curst wark, and costly too: an marrying be as mortifying and murdering, the deil be married for me.

Mither. Wa Sawny, man, what's come o'er thee now? Thou's gotten skaith; some auld wife has bewitched thee, or the deil has dung thee o'er in some dirty midden; my bairn's elf-shot; whare has thou been, or what hast thou seen; thy een reels like a wild-cat, and the sweat is hailing o'er thy nose, thou's