He was to have been back in two or three hours, but the laddie, with the box on his shoulder, was going through the street crying "Hot penny-pies" for supper, and neither word nor wittens of him.

I began to be a thought uneasy, and fidgeted on the board like a hen on a hot girdle.

No man should do any thing when he is vexed, but I could not help giving Tammy Bodkin, who was sewing away at the lining of the new pantaloons, a terrible whisk in the lug for singing to himself.

I say I was vexed for it afterwards; especially as the laddie did not mean to give offence; and as I saw the blae marks of my four fingers along his chaft-blade.
The wife had been bothering me for a new gown, on strength of the payment of our grand bill; and in came she, at this blessed moment of time, with about twenty swatches from Simeon Calicoe's prinned on a screed of paper.
"Which of these do you think bonniest ?" said Nanse, in a flattering way; "I ken, Mansie, you have a good taste." "Cut not before the cloth," answered I, "gudewife," with a wise shake of my head.

"It'll be time enough, I daresay, to make your choice to-morrow." Nanse went out as if her nose had been blooding.