Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/243

Rh a lump or clod, and substantially, the same as Sc. clüte, ankle, hoof of a sheep. The kom milk is the Fifeshire kimmin with the suffixed article. "Help jouself, neef Koot." But what cares he for the cake? (koek of tert, meaning cookie, and tairt). The "of" here is not our preposition. He gazes (kijk) rather at his Elsie; her dear eyes are worth more to him ("haar liewe oogies is hom meerder werd"). Lowland Scots do not, indeed, say mairder (more) but they say nearder.

The supper done ("die maaltijd 's klaar") the "Patriarg" takes the Bible, "die selfde Boek, wat al sijn voor-ouers had" (the self-same Book, what all his (Ger. sein) fore-elders had). It is the "big ha'-Bible," such an one as that wherein William Burness entered the baptisms in Boer fashion, "waar die doop-registers staan." In old St. Andrews the Baptists were known as The Dippies. The head of the house of old uncovered only for prayer, and so here,—

his broad-brimmed hoed (hat) reverentially (Ger. ehrbietig) aff-haling, his beard all grey, his hair thin,—

he reads (wales) a Sion lay in the old speech.

There is no note here of the Covenanter's "wild warbling measures," but they sing with gees (Ger. Geist), heart and voice. They hearken as the old man reads (die ou man les—Ger. lesen) of how Moses smote the Amalekite (the Boer's Kaffir foe) and David groaned (ge-sug, sooched) under God's anger and chastising hand (kastijdend hand).

This Priester-praal or Evangelical part is done with real feeling. There is the picture of the Christ tied "an die Kruis met bloedrig sweet" (sweat),—

how He who here no rest-place had on earth, there 'Bove (Heaven) yet the second nạme, owns.