Page:The Cottagers of Glenburnie - Hamilton (1808).djvu/162

 "It is no doubt a good thing," said Mrs Mason, "to have a stock of goods of any kind, provided one has a prospect of turning them to account; but I confess I think the labour unprofitably employed, which, during thirty years, is to produce no advantage; and that linen of an inferior quality would be preferable, as it would certainly be more useful. A towel of nice clean huck-a-back would wipe a cup as well, and better, than a damask napkin."

"Towels!" cried Mrs MacClarty, "na, na, we manna pretend to towels; we just wipe up the things wi what comes in the gait."

On saying this, the good woman, to shew how exactly she practised what she spoke, pulled out from between the seed tub, and her husband's dirty shoes, (which stood beneath the bench by the fire side), a long blackened rag, and with it rubbed one of the pewter plates, with which she stepped into the closet for a roll of butter.