This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 Excerpt: ... But naething like learnin' wad enter his scull; The dominie grat that his mind was " obtuse;" He knew not a B frae the foot of a bull, Nor ever could master his P's and his Q's. If dulness is bliss, 'tis in vain to be wise--So Dugald exultingly swore by St George, "If she couldna for learnin' optain ta pra prize, She ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 Excerpt: ... But naething like learnin' wad enter his scull; The dominie grat that his mind was " obtuse;" He knew not a B frae the foot of a bull, Nor ever could master his P's and his Q's. If dulness is bliss, 'tis in vain to be wise--So Dugald exultingly swore by St George, "If she couldna for learnin' optain ta pra prize, She wadna pe panished nor hanged for a forge." He sorned on the tacksmen, he poached frae the laird, He rifled the doo-cot, an' plundered the stream; An' whiles a bit ewe or a lamb disappeared, But the corbie and eagle they aye gat the blame. At markets he aye made a shift to get fu', Wi' wonderfu' combative powers he was gifted; But ae weary night, the poor dominie's cow--The pet o' the bairnies--alas! she was lifted. Frae sheilin' to sheilin', through clachan an' toun, The tidin's flew swift as the auld fiery corse; They thought on M'Donald, the lang-fingered loon, An' the saddle for ance set upon the right horse. The clan in a crack was his foe to a man; The grey-headed patriarchs sairly misca'ed him; Sae he took to his heels like a sleuth-hound, an' ran, For the bounds o' the parish were ower het to haud him. An' down to the Lowlands the land-lowper hied; He ne'er coost the glance o' his e'e ower his shouther; But galloped full three Scottish ells at a stride, An'thought upon bayonets, an' bullets, an' pouther. In sooth, but the uppermost thought in his mind Was Hangie, the drap, an' the horrible fa; Sae he flew to a sergeant, as fleet as the wind, An' listed at ance i' the auld Forty-Twa. An' there he got rations an' fightin' galore, .. Where bayonets clashed, an' where ordnance thundered; He aye was the first an' the last i' the splore, An' mony a weel-stickit Frenchman he plundered. A skirmish was a' very weel in its way;...
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