Page:The Cottagers of Glenburnie - Hamilton (1808).djvu/216

 her tongue to the back of her hand, where part of the cream was still visible.

"Go! ye idle whippy!" said her mother, "and let me see how weel ye'll ca' the kirn."

"I winna kirn the day," returned Meg; "I'm gain' to milk the kye. Jean may kirn; she has naething else to do."

"I'm ay set to kirn," says Jean, whimpering. "I never saw sic wark. I tell ye, I wonna kirn mair than Meg. Grizzy can milk the cows hersel'. She does na' want her help."

"But girls," said Mrs Mason, "when I was a little girl like either of you, I never thought of chusing my work; I considered it my business to follow my mother's directions. Young people ought to obey, and not to dictate."

"Hear ye that!" said Mrs MacClarty: "But Jean will gang to the kirn I ken, like a good bairn; and she sal get a dad o' butter to her bread."

"But I wonna haet frae the hairing