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Transactions. 41 
when the auld farmer makes his “‘ New Year morning salutation 
to his mare Maggie,” he says : 
When thou was corn’t, and I was mellow, 
We took the road aye like a swallow, 
At broozes thou had ne’er a fellow 
For pith and speed ; 
But every tail thou pay’t them hollow, 
Where’er thou gae’d. 
At my grandfather’s marriage, which was attended hy a hundred 
people all mounted, the racing was also on horseback, for landlord 
Smith, of the old Oak Inn, fell from his horse and was nearly 
killed, much to the distress of my grandparents, who interpreted 
his mishap as an omen of misfortune to themselves. It was long 
customary in Glencairn, and we believe the custom prevailed in 
other districts of the country, for an elder sister to dance in her 
stocking soles at the marriage of a younger one. We have also 
a belief that a sister acting as bridesmaid on three separate 
occasions, thereby sacrifices her own chances of marriage. With 
the groomsman or ‘“‘best man” superstition has been less exacting, 
and, so long as he gives a liberal “ba’” to the children, he may 
officiate as often as he chooses. The marriage ceremony over, and 
the rice or old shoes thrown after the newly-married pair for 
“luck,” it might be expected that now, at all events, there would 
be an end to superstition ; but this was by no means the case. 
The entrance into the new home was quite as much beset with 
ordinance as the leaving of the old one, and the “ young folks” 
had no sooner arrived at their destination than the new-made 
wife was presented with a pair of tongs, as symbolical of her 
duties, while over the heads of husband and wife, as they entered, 
bread and cheese were broken in token of welcome and blessing. 
It was an established belief that salt should be taken into a new 
house before “ kennelin,” that is, fire, and down to a recent date 
this practice was religiously observed throughout, at least, the 
south of Scotland. Burns, we are told, countenanced the rite 
when he took up house at Ellisland, more, we suppose, from 
sympathy with national custom than from belief in its virtues. 
Close upon the marriage came “the kirkin’,” an important 
ceremony, which usually took place on the first Sabbath after the 
nuptials. Neither the best man’s nor the bridesmaid’s duties 
were supposed to be complete until this ceremony had been per- 
