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D. M. Moir. The Life of Mansie Wauch
The Life of Mansie Wauch
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I.—OUR OLD GRANFATHER
CHAPTER II.—MY OWN FATHER
CHAPTER III.—COMING INTO THE WORLD
CHAPTER IV.—CALF-LOVE
CHAPTER V.—CURSECOWL
CHAPTER VI.—PUSHING MY FORTUNE
CHAPTER VII.—THE FOREWARNING
CHAPTER VIII.—LETTING LODGINGS
CHAPTER IX.—BENJIE’S CHRISTENING
CHAPTER X.—THE RESURRECTION MEN
CHAPTER XI.—TAFFY WITH THE PIGTAIL
SONG
SONG OF THE SOUTH
SCHOOL RECOLLECTIONS
ELEGIAC STANZAS
DIRGE
CHAPTER XII.—VOLUNTEERING
CHAPTER XIII.—THE CHINCOUGH PILGRIMAGE
CHAPTER XIV.—MY LORD’S RACES
CHAPTER XV.—THE RETURN
CHAPTER XVI.—THE BLOODY CARTRIDGE
CHAPTER XVII.—MY FIRST AND LAST PLAY
CHAPTER XVIII.—THE BARLEY-FEVER—AND REBUKE
CHAPTER XIX.—THE AWFUL NIGHT
CHAPTER XX.—ADVENTURES IN THE SPORTING LINE
CHAPTER XXI.—ANENT MUNGO GLEN
CHAPTER XXII.—THE JUNE JAUNT
CHAPTER XXIII.—CATCHING A TARTAR
CHAPTER XXIV.—JAMES BATTER AND THE MAID OF DAMASCUS
THE MAID OF DAMASCUS
CHAPTER XXV.—A PHILISTINE IN THE COAL-HOLE
CHAPTER XXVI.—BENJIE ON THE CARPET
CHAPTER XXVII.—“PUGGIE, PUGGIE,”—A STORY WITHOUT A TAIL
CHAPTER XXVIII.—SERIOUS MUSINGS
CONCLUSION
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D. M. Moir
Tailor in Dalkeith, written by himself
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The first thing that I have any clear memory of, was my being carried out on my auntie’s shoulder, with a leather cap tied under my chin, to see the Fair Race. Oh! but it was a grand sight! I have read since then the story of Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp, but this beat it all to sticks. There was a long row of tables covered with carpets of bonny patterns, heaped from one end to the other with shoes of every kind and size, some with polished soles, and some glittering with sparribles and cuddy-heels; and little red worsted boots for bairns, with blue and white edgings, hanging like strings of flowers up the posts at each end;—and then what a collection of luggies! the whole meal in the market-sacks on a Thursday did not seem able to fill them;—and horn-spoons, green and black freckled, with shanks clear as amber—and timber caups—and ivory egg-cups of every pattern. Have a care of us! all the eggs in Smeaton dairy might have found resting-places for their doups in a row. As for the gingerbread, I shall not attempt a description. Sixpenny and shilling cakes, in paper, tied with skinie; and roundabouts, and snaps, brown and white quality, and parliaments, on stands covered with calendered linen, clean from the fold. To pass it was just impossible; it set my teeth a-watering, and I skirled like mad, until I had a gilded lady thrust into my little nieve; the which, after admiring for a minute, I applied my teeth to, and of the head I made no bones; so that in less than no time she had vanished, petticoats and all, no trace of her being to the fore, save and except long treacly daubs, extending east and west from ear to ear, and north and south from cape neb of the nose to the extremity of beardy-land.
But what, of all things, attracted my attention on that memorable day, was the show of cows, sheep, and horses, mooing, baaing, and neighering; and the race—that was best! Od, what a sight!—we were jammed in the crowd of old wives, with their toys and shining ribands; and carter lads, with their blue bonnets; and young wenches, carrying home their fairings in napkins, as muckle as would hold their teeth going for a month;—there scarcely could be much for love, when there was so much for the stomach;—and men, with wooden legs, and brass virls at the end of them, playing on the fiddle—and a bear that roared, and danced on its hind feet, with a muzzled mouth—and Punch and Polly—and puppie-shows, and more than I can tell—when up came the horses to the starting-post. I shall never forget the bonny dresses of the riders. One had a napkin tied round his head, with the flaps fleeing at his neck; and his coat-tails were curled up into a big hump behind; it was so tight buttoned ye would not think he could have breathed. His corduroy trowsers (such like as I have often since made to growing callants) were tied round his ankles with a string; and he had a rusty spur on one shoe, which I saw a man take off to lend him. Save us! how he pulled the beast’s head by the bridle, and flapped up and down on the saddle when he tried a canter! The second one had on a black velvet hunting-cap, and his coat stripped. I wonder he was not feared of cold, his shirt being like a riddle, and his nether nankeens but thin for such weather; but he was a brave lad; and sorry were the folks for him, when he fell off in taking over sharp a turn, by which old Pullen, the bell-ringer, who was holding the post, was made to coup the creels, and got a bloody nose.—And but the last was a wearyful one! He was all life, and as gleg as an eel. Up and down he went; and up and down philandered the beast on its hind-legs and its fore-legs, funking like mad; yet though he was not above thirteen, or fourteen at most, he did not cry out for help more than five or six times, but grippit at the mane with one hand, and at the back of the saddle with the other, till daft Robie, the hostler at the stables, claught hold of the beast by the head, and off they set. The young birkie had neither hat nor shoon, but he did not spare the stick; round and round they flew like mad. Ye would have thought their eyes would have loupen out; and loudly all the crowd were hurraing, when young hatless came up foremost, standing in the stirrups, the long stick between his teeth, and his white hair fleeing behind him in the wind like streamers on a frosty night.
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