[Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character by Edward Bannerman Ramsay]@TWC D-Link book
Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH
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Some years ago the celebrated Edward Irving had been lecturing at Dumfries, and a man who passed as a wag in that locality had been to hear him.

He met Watty Dunlop the following day, who said, "Weel, Willie, man, an' what do ye think of Mr.Irving ?" "Oh," said Willie, contemptuously, "the man's crack't." Dunlop patted him on the shoulder, with a quiet remark, "Willie, ye'll aften see a light peeping through a crack!" He was accompanying a funeral one day, when he met a man driving a flock of geese.

The wayward disposition of the bipeds at the moment was too much for the driver's temper, and he indignantly cried out, "Deevil choke them!" Mr.Dunlop walked a little farther on, and passed a farm-stead, where a servant was driving out a number of swine, and banning them with "Deevil tak them!" Upon which, Mr.Dunlop stepped up to him, and said, "Ay, ay, my man; your gentleman'll be wi' ye i' the noo: he's juist back the road there a bit, choking some geese till a man." Shortly after the Disruption, Dr.Cook of St.Andrews was introduced to Mr.Dunlop, upon which occasion Mr.Dunlop said, "Weel, sir, ye've been lang Cook, Cooking them, but ye've dished them at last." Mr.Clark of Dalreoch, whose head was vastly disproportioned to his body, met Mr.Dunlop one day.

"Weel, Mr.Clark, that's a great head o' yours." "Indeed it is, Mr.Dunlop; I could contain yours inside of my own." "Juist sae," quietly replied Mr.Dunlop; "I was e'en thinkin' it was geyan _toom_[177]." Mr.Dunlop happened one day to be present in a church court of a neighbouring presbytery.

A Rev.Doctor was asked to pray, and declined.
On the meeting adjourning, Mr.Dunlop stepped up to the Doctor, and asked how he did.


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