Page:Coalman's courtship to the creel-wife's daughter (8).pdf/9



got Sawney in the morning, and swallowed owre sodded meat flag by flag; and aff he goes to the eoalscoals [sic] and the eourtingcourting [sic], lilting and singing like a laveroeklaverock [sic] in a May morning—O to be married if this be the way.

The colliers wondered a' to see him sae well buskit wi a pair of wally side auld-fashioned leather breeks of his father's, and an auld ereeshycreeshy [sic] hat, mair like a fryingpan than ony thing else; a lang cravat like a minister or Baillie Duff at a burial, a clean face and hands, and nae less than a gun-sleeved linen sark on him, which made his cheeks to shine like a sherney weight, and the colliers swore he was as braw as a horse gaun to a cow's dredgy.

But Sawny eamecame [sic] off wi his eoalscoals [sic], whistling and whipping up the poor beasts, even as outrageous as ony ram at riding time; well might ony body see there was a storm in Sawny's nose, light where it like; for no sooner had he selled his coals, than he left his horse to come hame wi a nibour callan, and gad keekin up the Cowgate, and through the closses, seeking auld Be-go, his guid-mither to be; then in through the fish-market, where he bought twa lang herrin, and twa baps, a pair of suter's auld shoon, greased black