The minister had said, "Weel, Margaret, I hope you're thoroughly ashamed of your _sins_" Now, in Aberdeenshire _sons_ are pronounced sins; accordingly, to the minister's surprise, Margaret burst forth, "Ashamed o' ma sins! na, na, I'm proud o' ma sins.

Indeed, gin it werena for thae cutties o' dauchters, I should be _ower_ proud o' ma sins." Any of my readers who are not much conversant with Aberdeen dialect will find the following a good specimen:--A lady who resided in Aberdeen, being on a visit to some friends in the country, joined an excursion on horseback.

Not being much of an equestrian, she was mounted upon a Highland pony as being the _canniest baste_.

He, however, had a trick of standing still in crossing a stream.

A burn had to be crossed--the rest of the party passed on, while "Paddy" remained, pretending to drink.
Miss More, in great desperation, called out to one of her friends--"Bell, 'oman, turn back an gie me your bit fuppie, for the breet's stannin' i' the peel wi' ma." A rich specimen of Aberdeen dialect, under peculiar circumstances, was supplied by an Aberdonian lady who had risen in the world from selling fruit at a stall to be the wife of the Lord Provost.