THE SECRET. 237 



" With a packet, 

 Saying, Tak' it, 

 It's as clean as I can mak' it, 

 If ye'd save yer snuff on Sabbath 

 A toom box ye needna scan. 



" Being lusty 

 (Though 'twas musty) 

 To his nose the snuff so dusty 

 Put the minister, too much in want, 

 The gift to scrutinize. 



"An idea 

 He could see a 

 Blessing in this panacea ; 

 So he took such hearty pinches as brought 

 Tears into his eyes. 



* 4 Then to Johnnie, 

 His old cronie, 



Cried ' I fear'd I'd ne'er get ony.' 

 'Well, I'll tell ye,' said the beadle, 

 4 Whaur I got the stock of snuff.' 



'* * In the poupit 

 Low I stoopit, 



An* the snuff and stour I soupit, 

 Then I brocht ye here a handfu', 

 For ye need it sair enough.' " 



The old Scottish snuff-mill, which consisted of a small 

 box-like receptacle into which fitted a conical-shaped projec- 

 tion with a short, strong handle was a more substantial affair 

 than the rasp used by the French and English snuff-takers. 

 (See page 232). Both, answered the purpose for which they 

 were designed, the leaves of tobacco being " toasted before 

 the fire," and then ground in the mill as it was called. The 

 more modern snuff-mill is similar in shape, but is used to hold 

 the snuff after being ground, rather than for reducing the 

 leaves to a powder. 



Boswell gives the following poem on snuff, in his " Shrubs 

 of Parnassus : " 



"Oh Snuff! our fashionable end and aim ! 

 Strasburg, Rappee, Dutch, Scotch, what'eer thy name, 



