Page:Comical transactions of Lothian Tom (5).pdf/13

 ( 11 ) PART III.

7. Tom being now turned to his own shifts, considers with himsef how to raise a little more money; so she gets a long string, as near as lie could guess to be the length of his mother, and into Edinburgh he goes, to a wright who was acquainted with his father and mother The wright asked him how he did ? He answered him very softly, he had lost a good dutiful mother last night, and there’s a measure for her coffin. Tom went out and staid for some time, and then comes in again, and tells the wright he did not know what to do, for his father had ordered him to get money from such a man whom he named, and he was that day gone out of town ; the wright asked him now much he wanted ? To which he answered, a guinea and a half might do, or thirty shil- lings at the least. So he gave him the guinea and the half. Then Tom gave him strict charges to be out on the morrow against eleven o’clock with the coffin, and he should have his money altogether. Tom set out for the ale-house with the money, and lived well while it lasted. Next morn- ing the wright and his two lads went out with the coffin, and as they were going