XXVII.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three* are ranged,
And ev'ry time great care is ta'en,
To see them duly changed:
Auld uncle John, wha wedlock's joys
Sin Mar's-year did desire,

Because he gat the toom-dish thrice,

He heav'd them on the fire

In wrath that night.

XXVIII.

Wi' merry sangs, an' friendly cracks,

I wat they did na weary;

An' unco tales, an' funnie jokes,

Their sports were cheap an' cheery;

"Till

* Take three dishes; put clean water in one, foul water in another, leave the third empty: blindfold a person and lead him to the hearth where the dishes are ranged; he (or she) dips the left hand: if by chance in the clean water, the future husband or wife will come to the bar of matrimony a maid; if in the foul, a widow; if in the empty dish, it foretels, with equal certainty, no marriage at all. It is repeated three times, and every time the arrangement of the dishes is altered.

"Till butter'd so'ns, wi' fragrant lunt, Set a' their gabs a-steerin;

Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt,

They parted aff careerin

Fu' blythe that night.

THE

* Sowens, with butter instead of milk to them, is always

the Halloween Supper.

THE

AULD FARMER'S

NEW YEAR MORNING SALUTATION

TO HIS

AULD MARE MAGGIE,

On giving her the accustomed ripp of corn to hansel in the new year.

A Guid New-year I wish thee, Maggie!
Hae, there's a ripp to thy auld baggie:
Tho' thou's howe-backit, now, an' knaggie,
I've seen the day,

Thou could hae gaen like onie staggie

Out-owre the lay.

Tho'

Tho' now thou's dowie, stiff, an' crazy, An' thy auld hide's as white's a daisy, I've seen thee dappl't, sleek, and glaizie, A bonny gray:

He should been tight that daur't to raize thee. Ance in a day.

Thou ance was i' the foremost rank,
A filly buirdly, steeve, an' swank,
An' set weel down a shapely shank,

As e'er tread yird;

An' could hae flown out-owre a stank,
Like ony bird.

It's now some nine-an'-twenty year, Sin' thou was my guid father's meere; He gied me thee, o' tocher clear,

An' fifty mark;

Tho' it was sma', 'twas weel-won gear,

An' thou was stark.

When first I gaed to woo my Jenny, Ye then was trottin wi' your minnie: Tho' ye was trickie, slee, an' funnie,

Ye ne'er was donsie ;

But hamely, tawie, quiet, an' cannie,

An' unco sonsie.

That

That day, ye pranc'd wi' muckle pride,
When ye bure hame my bonny bride:
An' sweet and gracefu' she did ride,
Wi' maiden air!

Kyle Stewart I could bragged wide,
For sic a pair.

Tho' now ye dow but hoyte and hobble, An' wintle like a saumont-coble,

That day ye was a jinker noble,

For heels an' win'!

An' ran them till they a' did wauble,
Far, far behin'.

When thou an' I were young an' skeigh, An' stable-meals at fairs were dreigh, How thou wad prance, an' snore, an' skreigh,

An' tak the road!

Town's bodies ran, an' stood abeigh,

An' ca't thee mad.

When thou was corn't, an' I was mellow,
We took the road ay like a swallow:
At Brooses thou had ne'er a fellow,

For pith an' speed;

But ev'ry tail thou pay't them hollow,

Whare'er thou gaed.

The