144 Notes and Sketches. 



about byres and barn against the " endrift styth" in the 

 growing gloamin darkness. 



For fear the poor dumb brutes sud smore, 

 He staps wi' strae ilk navus bore, 



An' ilka crevice darns. 

 Syne aifter he has deen his best, 

 The sheep sought hame, an' a' at rest, 

 He bouns him to the house, 

 An' sits him doon upo' the bink, 

 An' plaits a theet, or mends a mink, 



To sair an aifter use. 



And then the scene when the " shankers" are gathered 

 by the fireside : 



The littleanes play at seek an' hide / 



Ahint the kists an' tables ; 

 The farmer sits anent the licht, 

 An' reads a piece o' Wallace Wicht, 

 Or maybe ^Esop's Fables. 



An' little Pate sits i' the neuk, 

 An' but-a-hoose dare hardly luik, 



But haud an' snuff the fir ; 

 An' fan the farmer tines the line, 

 He says, " Yer light casts little shine 



Haud in the candle, sir !" 



The gaudman sits an' toasts his nose, 

 Or awkwardly heel-caps his hose, 



Or maks yoke-sticks o' rodden ; 

 Auld Luckydaddy win's at brutches, 

 An' granny tells them tales o' witches, 



Until the kail be sodden. 



And so on till the " brose is suppit," and they take to 

 bed trusting to be roused betimes next morning for flail 

 and plough by the waukrife goodman. 



In autumn the " twal-owsen" plough was set agoing, 

 when the services of the ploughman and gaudman came 

 into active request; and about farms of considerable 

 extent there was in addition the barnman. In winter 

 it was his business every day and all day long to ply 



