Burntisland. 13 



going to be married, the best man, and even the 

 bridegroom himself, went from house to house, 

 asking for small sums to enable them to have a 

 wedding supper, and pay the town fiddler for a 

 dance ; any one was admitted who paid a penny. 

 I recollect the prisoners in the Tolbooth letting 

 down bags from the prison windows, begging for 

 charity. I do not remember any execution taking 

 place. 



Men and old women of the lower classes smoked 

 tobacco in short pipes, and many took snuff even 

 young ladies must have done so ; for I have a very 

 pretty and quaint gold snuff-box which was given to 

 my grandmother as a marriage present. Licensed beg- 

 gars, called " gaberlunzie men/' were still common. 

 They wore a blue coat, with a tin badge, and wan- 

 dered about the country, knew all that was going 

 on, and were always welcome at the farm-houses, 

 where the gude wife liked to have a crack (gossip) 

 with the blue coat, and, in return for his news, gave 

 him dinner or supper, as might be. Edie Ochiltree 

 is a perfect specimen of this extinct race. There 

 was another species of beggar, of yet higher an- 

 tiquity. If a man were a cripple, and poor, his 

 relations put him in a hand-barrow, and wheeled 

 him to their next neighbour's door, and left him 

 there. Some one came out, gave him oat-cake 



