BESOMS AND SCRUBBING BRUSHES. 



the feast afforded them as they circle round the purple 

 flowers. 



But even the tramp, and the gypsy, "the heathen 

 of the heath," have reason to bless the Heather, as it 

 helps them to a livelihood by making of brooms, if 

 only they can obtain or take the right of common 

 wherever the Heather grows. In his "History of the 

 Gypsies," William Simson tells us that among the 

 chief occupations of the gypsies "a few of the colony 

 employ themselves occasionally in making besoms, peat 

 basses, etc., from heath, broom and bent, and sell them 

 at Kelso and neighboring towns." 



That their industry was not such as to put them 

 in the millionaire class may be gleaned from one of 

 the street cries of old Edinburgh as follows : 



Fine heather reenges, better never grew ; 

 Fine heather reenges, wha'll buy them noo? 

 Besoms for a penny, reenges for a plack ; 

 If ye winna buy them, help them on my back. 



Burns also gives us an idea of the profits of the 

 business of besom making, which he evidently con- 

 sidered about the last extremity to which one in hard 

 luck could reach. He thus tells Dr. Blacklock : 



I hae a wife and twa wee laddies, 

 They maun hae brose and brats o' duddies, 

 Ye ken yersel my heart right proud is 



I need na vaunt, 

 But I'll sned besoms thraw saugh woodies, 



Before they want. 

 76 



