pride,' said Tibby. I wish ye wad haud start, her leddyship sees every bowie, bicker your tongue.' and piggin that gangs into the cart. She kens the price o' them as weel as I do; and if I shouldna bring hame either money or goods according to her valuation, I actually believe she wad murder me. There is nae cheatin' her. It is by mere chance that, having had a gude market, I've outreached her the day by a shillin' or twa; and ane o' 'Ay, but, Tibby,' says I, for I was nettled mair than I durst show it, but she has been a guid mother to me, and ye ken yersel' that she's no been an ill-guid mother to ye. She never stood in the way o' you and me coming thegither, though I was paying six shillings a week into the house.' “And what am I obliged to her for that?' them I'll spend wi' you, Robin, and the rest interrupted my Jezebel. shall gang to my mither. Oh, man, ye may "I dinna ken, Tibby, says I; 'but it's bless your stars that ye dinna ken what it is a hard thing for a son to see a mither in to hae a termagant wife." want when he can assist her. Now, it isna meikle she takes she never was used wi' dainties; and if I may just tak' her hame, little wull serve her, and her meat will ne'er be missed.' 666 Ye born idiot!' cried Tibby. I aye thought ye a fule, but ye are warse than a fule. Bring your mither here-an auld, cross-grained, faultfinding wife that I ne'er could hae patience to endure for ten minutes in my days? Bring her here, say ye? No! While I live in this house, I'll let ye ken that I'll be mistress.' "Ay, and maister too,' thought I. "I found it was o' nae use to argue wi' her. There was nae possibility o' gettin' my mither into the house, and, as to assisting her wi' a shillin' or twa at a time by chance, or paying her house-rent, or sending her a load o' coals, it was perfectly out o' the question and beyond my power. Frae the night that I went to Orange Lane to this moment I hae never had a sixpence under my thumb that I could ca' my ain. Indeed, I never hae money in my hands unless it be on a day like this, when I hae to gang to a fair, or the like o' that, and even then, before I "I'm sorry for ye, Patie," said Robin Roughead; "but really I think in a great measure ye hae yoursel' to blame for it a'.' "Me!" said Patie. What do ye mean, Robin ?" 66 66 Why, Patie," said Robin, "I ken it is said that every ane can rule a bad wife but he that has her, and I believe it is true. I am quite convinced that naebody kens sae weel where the shoe pinches as they that hae it on, though I am quite satisfied that had my case been yours I wad hae brought her to her senses lang afore now, though I had "Dauded her lug wi' Rab Roryson's bannet' or gien her a hoopin', like your friend the cooper o' Coldingham." that score-it wadna be manly; but there is ae thing that ye can do, and I am sure it wad hae an excellent effect." tie. 66 'Oh, man, if it might be sae!" said Pa"But this very nicht-the moment I get hame--I'll try it; and if I succeed, I'll treat ye wi' a bottle o' wine, and I believe I never drank ane in my life." "Agreed," said Robin. "But mind ye're not to do things by halves. Ye're no to be feared out o' your resolution because Tibby may fire and storm and let drive the things in the house at ye, or even though "Dear sake! what is that?" cried Patie. "For a' that has happened ye," said Robin, "ye hae just yoursel' to blame for giein' up the key and the siller to her management that night ye gaed to Orange Lane. That is the short and the lang o' a' your troubles, Patie." "Do you think sae?" inquired the little she should greet." t bicker-maker. "I thoroughly understand ye," " said Patie; 'my resolution's ta'en, and I'll stand by it." "Gie's your hand on't," said Robin; and Patie gave him his hand. "Yes, I think sae, Peter, and I say it," said Robin; and there is but ae remedy left." "And what is that?" asked Patie, eagerly. Just this," said Robin: "stop the supplies." "Stop the supplies!" returned Patie. What do you mean, Robin? I canna say that I fully comprehend ye.' 66 ter o' I just mean this," added the other: "be your ain banker-your ain cashier; be maisain siller. Let her find that it is your to you she is indebted for every penny she has the power to spend; and if ye dinna bring Tibby to reason and kindness within a month, my name's no Robin Roughead." "Do ye think that wad do it?" said Patie. "If that wadna, naething wad," answered Robin. "But try it for a twelvemonth. Begin this very nicht; and if we baith live and be spared to this time next year, I'll meet ye again, and I'll be the death o' a mutchkin but that ye tell me Tibby's a different woman, your bairns different, your hail house different and your auld mither comfortable." * An English pint. 44 license, and was therefore content with a gill of whiskey made into toddy. Oh, man, said he to Robin, "I wad pay ye half a dizen bottles o' wine wi' as great cheerfu'ness as I raise this glass to my lips. It was a grand advice, that o' yoursstop the supplies." "I am glad to hear it," said Robin. "I was sure it was the only thing that would do." Ye shall hear a' about it," said Patie. "After parting wi' ye I trudged hame to Birgham, and when I got to my house, before I had the sneck* of the door weel out o' hand, What's stopped ye to this time o' night, ye.fitless, feckless cratur ye?' cried Tibby. 'Whar hae ye been? been? Gie an account o' yoursel'.' "An account o' mysel'!' says I; and I gied the door a drive ahint me as if I wad driven it off the hinges. For what should I gie an account o' mysel'? or wha should I gie it to? I suppose this house is my ain, and I can come in and gang out when I like.' Yours!' cried she; is the body drunk?' 666 No,' says I, I'm no drunk, but I wad hae you to be decent. Where is my supper? It is time that I had it.' "Ye micht hae come in in time to get it, then,' said she; folk canna keep suppers waitin' on you.' 666 Gie you the siller!' says I. 'Na, na! I've dune that lang eneugh. I hae stopped the supplies, my woman.' "Stop yer breath,' cried she. 'Gie me the siller, every farthin', or woe betide ye.' "It was needless for her to say 'every farthin',' for, had I dune as I used to do, I kenned she wad search through every pocket o' my claes the moment she thocht me asleep -through every hole and corner o' themto see if I had cheated her out o'a single penny; ay, and tak' them up and shake them and shake them after a' was dune. But I was determined to stand fast by your advice. "Do as ye like,' says I. 'I'll bring ye to your senses I've stopped the supplies.' "She saw that I wasna drunk, and my manner rather dumfounded her a little. The bairns-wha, as I have tauld ye, she aye encouraged to mock me-began to giggle at me and to mak' me and to mak' game o' me, as usual. I banged out o' the house and into the shop, and I took down the belt o' the bit turninglathe, and into the house I goes again wi' it in my hand. 666 Wha makes a fule o' me now?' says I. "And they a' laughed thegither, and I up wi' the belt and I loundered them round the house and round the house till ane "But I'll gang whar I can get it,' said I; screamed and anither screamed, and even and I offered to leave the house. "I'll tak' the life o' ye first,' said she. 'Gie me the siller. Ye had five cogs, a dizen o' bickers, twa dizen o' piggins, three bowies, four cream-dishes and twa ladles, besides the wooden spoons that I packed up mysel'. Gie me the siller, and, you puir profligate, let me see what hae spent.' you * Latch. their mither got clouts in trying to run betwixt them and me; and it was wha to squeal loudest. Sae, after I had brocht them a' to ken wha I was, I awa yont to my mither's, and I gied her five shillings, puir body! and after stoppin' an hour wi' her, I gaed back to the house again. The bairns were abed and some o' them were still sobbin'. and † Beat. Tibby was sittin' by the fire; but she didna | the siller: frae this time henceforth do wi' it venture to say a word-I had completely as- what ye like.' tonished her and as little said I. "There wasna a word passed between us for three days. I was beginning to carry my head higher in the house, and on the fourth day I observed that she had no tea to her breakfast. A day or two after, the auldest lassie cam to me ae morning about ten o'clock, and says she, 66 6 "Faither, I want siller for tea and sugar.' Gae back to them that sent ye,' says I, 'and tell them to fare as I do, and they'll save the tea and sugar.' 66 But it is of nae use dwellin' upon the subject. I did stop the supplies most effectually. I very soon brocht Tibby to ken wha was her bread-winner. An' when I saw that my object was accomplished, I showed mair kindness and affection to her than ever I had dune. The bairns became as obedient as lambs, and she soon came to say, 'Peter, should I do this thing?' or 'Peter, should I do that thing?' So, when I had brocht her that far, Tibby,' says I, we hae a butt and a ben,* and it's grievin' me to see my auld mither starvin' and left by hersel' wi' naebody to look after her. I think I'll bring her hame the morn. She'll aye be of use about the house: she'll can knit the bairns' stockin's or darn them when they are out o' the heels.' 666 6 Weel, Peter,' said Tibby, 'I'm sure it's as little as a son can do, and I'm perfectly agreeable.' 66 Tibby grat. My mother cam hame to my house the next day. Tibby did everything to mak' her comfortable, a' the bairns ran at her biddin', and frae that day to this there isna a happier man on this wide world than Patie Crichton, the bicker-maker o' Birgham." JOHN MACKAY WILSON. "I banged up; I flung my arms round But the same old bricks are in the wall, the Tibby's neck. bell swings to and fro, The boys were playing some old game be- | I visited the old churchyard and took some neath that same old tree: flowers to strow I have forgot the name just now; you've Upon the graves of those we loved some played the same with me, On that same spot; 'twas played with knives, by throwing so and so-- The loser had a task to do-there twenty years ago. twenty years ago. Some are in the churchyard laid, some sleep beneath the sea; But few are left of our old class excepting you and me; The river's running just as still; the willows And when our time shall come, Tom, and we on its side are called to go, Are larger than they were, Tom; the stream I hope they'll lay us where we played just twenty years ago. appears less wide; But the grape-vine swing is ruined now where once we played the beau And swung our sweethearts-pretty girlsjust twenty years ago. N° FRANCIS HUSTON. THE WORLD'S MINISTRY. Let every such brief contact be SUSAN COOLIDGE. |