Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/24

 what will ye buy: nothing but a pair of beard-ſheers, ſaid he, and give me them cheap. So, I ſold him a pair of P ſheers for three half-pence, and gave him a needle, then parted good friends after the battle was over.

So I went to Linlithgow that night, where I met with Drouthy Tom, my ſweet and dear companion, and here we had a moſt terrible encounter with the tippeny for two nights and a day; and then we ſet out for Fyfe on the hair order, by way of Toryburn and Culroſs, and coming up to a parcel of women waſhing by a water ſide, I buys one of their hairs. The time I was cutting it off, Tom fell a courting and kiſſing a girl among them, who was of the haveral ſort. What happened I know not, but ſhe cried out, ye miſheard filthy fallow, ye put your hand a tween my feet, mair need anither thing ſud be there. A ill chance on your picture, cried an old wife, for mony a ane has ta'en me be there in daffing, and I ne'er ſaid a word about it, a wheen daft jades, canna ye haud your tongues, whan it's to your ſhame ye speak. Gae awa', cried the laſs, he, filthy body at he is, the laſt chapman that kiſt me had a horse-pack, but he'll hae naething in his but a wisp of ſtrae, ſome old breeks, hair-ſkins, maukin-ſkins, ony thing that fills the bag, and bears bouk, and yet he would kiſs and handle me, hech, I was made for a better fallow; ane of them came by ae day, and fell'd our Meg twa ell and a quarter o' linen to be her bridal ſark, for he had nae mair, and when ſhe made it, and pat it on, it widna hide her hech, hech, hech, he.

J. Neilſon, printer.