Page:Life of Mansie Wauch tailor in Dalkeith (1).pdf/11

11 tasted the honey that dwells on a woman’s lip, sweeter than yellow marygolds to the bee; or fretted under the fever of bliss that glows through the frame on pressing the hand of a suddenly met, and fluttering sweetheart. But tuts-tuts—hech-how! my day has long since past; and this is stuff to drop from the lips of an auld fool. Nevertheless, forgive me, friends: I cannot help all powerful nature.

Nanse’s taste being like my own, we amused one another in abusing great cities: and it is curious how soon I learned to be up to trap—I mean in an houesthonest [sic] way; for, when she said she was wearying the very heart out of her to be home again to Lauder, which, she said, was her native and the true land of Goshen, I spoke back to her by way of answer—“Nancy my dear,” says I, “believe me that the real land of Goshen is out at Dalkeith; and if ye’ll take up house wi’ me, and enter into a way of doing, I daursay in a while ye’ll eomecome [sic] to think so too.”

What will you say there? Matters were by-and-by settled full tosh between us; and though the means of both parties were small, we were young, and able and willing to help one another. For two three days, I must confess, after Nanse, and me found ourselves in the comfortable situation of man and wife, I was a dowie and disponding, thinking we were to have a’ numerous small family and where work was to come from; but no sooner was my sign nailed up, with four iron haudfasts by Johnny Hammer, painted in black letters, on a blue ground, with a picture of a jacket on one side and a pair of shears on the other,