Page:The Cottagers of Glenburnie - Hamilton (1808).djvu/197

 at the discovery; and thought it incumbent on her to inform their mother of the incident, and to give her opinion of it in the plainest terms.

Mrs MacClarty perceiving that Mrs Mason had something extraordinary to communicate, stopped her wheel to listen; and when the window was mentioned, asked, with great anxiety, whether it was broken? "No," said Mrs Mason, "the mud they threw at it was too soft to break the glass; it is not to the injury done the window that I wish to call your attention, but to the dispositions of your children; for what must the dispositions be, that lead them to take pleasure in such an act?"

"Hoot," said Mrs MacClarty, "is that it a'? ane wou'd ha' thought the window had been a' to shivers, by the way you spoke. If its but a wee clarted, there's nae sae muckle ill done. I tald ye it was nonsense to be at sae muckle fash aboot