Trgmsactwns. 39 



stition, and the devices resorted to by love-sick swains and 

 languishing maidens desirous of ascertaining their lot in the 

 man-iage state are almost bewildering in their variety. We 

 content ourselves with noficing a few of tlie more important. A 

 rite rarely neglected at this propitious season was the dipping of 

 the sark sleeve in water where tliree laird's lands met. The 

 garment was then taken home and hung over the back of a chair to 

 dry, due care being exercised to place it in such a position that the 

 maiden could have it constantly under view during the night; for 

 sliould marriage be her lot in life the husband she was to get would 

 enter the apartment and turn the garment. A story still lingers 

 in the district of a much-respected doctor's wife who successfully 

 practised the rite when a young and unasked maiden. She had 

 retired to rest at the usual hour, but was too anxious as to the 

 result of her experiment to sleep. Close upon the stroke of twelve 

 a man she had never seen before silf-ntly entered the room, turned 

 the " sark," and then, as if to leave some tangible proof of his 

 visit, deliberately stuck a pen-knife through the sleeve of the 

 garment. The man she saw on that Hallowe'en night was the 

 man she afterwards married, and to her dying day she possessed 

 an unwavering faith in the genuineness of the visit. 



We may mention in this connection a peculiar practice long 

 common in the district on the 1st of May. Some time during the 

 day, maidens curious in matters matrimonial pulled nine stalks 

 of yarrow " to dream on." These were placed beneath the pillow 

 for three successive nights, and if the spell succeeded, tlie maiden's 

 future husband either appeared in person or had his name 



mysteriously announced to her in a dream. Tibby B told me 



that long before she saw her man she dreamed about him on the 

 yarrow, and saw him as plain as she ever saw hiin in after life. 

 " I was lying in the turnip field," she said, "when he came to me 

 and said, ' My lass, ye'd better gie me ye're hoe an' I'll help ye a 

 bit.' I answered, quite careless like, ' Ye may hae't ' ; sae he 

 took it, and after workin' a bit and talkin' a bit he left me, an' it 



was in that very way and wi' thae words on his lips Rab C 



courted me for his wife." 



Another popular method of love-divination was to pare a turnip 

 round and round without breaking, and then to hang the long 

 spii'al peeling over the doorway ; the name of the first person who 

 afterwards entered being supposed to correspond with that of the 



