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. 1855 Excerpt: ... wi' Auld Reekie. My auld, ga'd gleyde o' a meere has huchyall'd up hill and down brae, in Scotland and England, as teugh and birnie as a very devil wi' me. It's true she's as poor's a sangmaker and as hard's a kirk, and tippertaipers when she taks the gate, first like a lady's gentle-woman in a minuwae, or a hen on a ...
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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. 1855 Excerpt: ... wi' Auld Reekie. My auld, ga'd gleyde o' a meere has huchyall'd up hill and down brae, in Scotland and England, as teugh and birnie as a very devil wi' me. It's true she's as poor's a sangmaker and as hard's a kirk, and tippertaipers when she taks the gate, first like a lady's gentle-woman in a minuwae, or a hen on a het girdle; but she's a yauld, poutherie girrau for a' that, and has a stomach like Willie Stalker's meere, that wad hae digeested tumbler-wheels--for she'll whip me aff her five stimparts o' the best aits at a down-sittin, and ne'er fash her thumb. When ance her ringbanes and spavies, her crucks and cramps, are fairly soupl'd, she beets to, beets to, and aye the hindmost hour the tightest. I could wager her price to a threttie pennies, that for twa or three wooks ridin' at fifty mile a-day, the deil-sticket a five gallopers acqueesh Clyde and Whithorn could cast saut on her tail. (29) I hae dander'd owre a' the kintra frae Dumbar to Selcraig, and hae forgather'd wi' mony a guid fallow, and mony a weelfar'd hizzie. I met wi' twa dink, quines in particular, ane o' them a sonsie, fine, fodgel lass--baith, braw and bonnie; the tither was a clean-shankit, straught, tight, weel-far'd winch, as blythe's a lintwhite on a flowerie thorn, and as sweet and modest's a newblawn plum-rose in a hazle shaw. They were baith bred to mainers by the beuk, and onie ane o' them had as inuckle smeddum and rumblegumption as the half o' some presbytries that you and I baith ken. They play'd me sick a del o' a shavie, that I daur say, if my harigals were turn'd out, ye wad see twa nicks i' the heart o' me like the mark o' a kail-whittle in a castock. I was gaun to write you a lang pystle, but God forgie me, I gat mysel sae noutouriously bitchify'd the day, after kail-...
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