Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/158

134 name, "dorbie." The long winter evenings were often devoted to technical education of no mean kind amid the bustle of the craftsman's shop. The handloom weaver, a comtemplativecontemplative [sic] artist whose craft had by this time almost disappeared, was coaxed into sparing the ends of his warp to make strings for "draigens" (kites), or the tow from his yarn to supply shot for spoot-guns. The former was known as "thrums," the thrummy cap of the ballads, and, of course, the cognomen of Mr. Barrie's native Kirriemuir. The tailor was voted a windy buddy, much given to blawin' or boasting. Odd uses were found for his runds (selvage of cloth), and there were sly pilferings of his keelivine or pencil. The Orcadian rands is the edge of a shoe-heel: rynd is a long strip of cloth. Interesting was it to watch the hot "goose" hissing along the damp seam over the "lawbrod." A Glasgow bailie who had been familiar professionally with the flat-iron of the tailor and how he used it, diverted the Town Council by remarking that an opponent's criticism was no more to him than "a skite aff a tailor's goose." Every way more entertaining was the sutor as he beat the bend-leather on his lap-stane, drew his thread across the roset (Gael. rosead, resin), deftly birsed a fresh lingle end, or passed the gleaming elshon (awl) through his hair. In those days there was no lack of variety or interest in village industries, as yet little affected by machinery or the rush town-wards. All this is commemorated in the Fife toast,—

Around the ingle-neuk character was both formed and best studied. Lessons played a small part in the evening economy, for school passed for little, and the "maister" was held in no great esteem among the monotonous drudgery of "coonts" (sums) and Catechism, and the mechanical sing-song drawl called reading aloud. For the well-doing the highest praise was: "Ye'll be a man before your mother yet," while for the be-fogged bungler were reserved the choice epithets, "kirn-stick," or dunder-head, and the ever-ready "pawmy." Neither