Page:Fun upon fun, or, The comical and merry tricks of Leper the tailor (1).pdf/17

17 when she began to curl her nose or the future, the tailor had no more io say, but, ‘ Maggy, mind the bottle.’

Leper was working with a master tailor in Glasgow, who hungered his men, and one morning, just when breakfast was set on the table, in comes a gentleman to try on a suit of clothes; the master being obliged to rise, desired the lads to say the grace themselves; every one refused it, and put it to his neighbour, till Leper undertook it, and said, with an audible voice, that the stranger gentleman might overhear him, as follows: Och, hoch! we are a parcel of poor beastly bodies, and we are as beastly guided, if we do not work we get nothing to eat, yet we are always eating and fretting, fidging and half starving is like to be our fortune; scartings and scrapings are the most of our mouthfuls: we would fain thank thee for our fullness, if it were so, but the rest of our benefactors are not worthy the acknowledging; — hech hey. Amen.’ The gentleman laughed till his sides were