CHAP. i. RECEPTION ON RETURN. 13 



said Tom's mother, " surely he's dead wi' cauld by 

 this time. Fat can we do wi' him? Oh, Mrs. 

 Kelman, he'll break my very heart. Think o' him 

 being oot for haill days without ony meat. Often 

 he's oot afore he gets his breakfast, and we winna 

 see him again till night. Only think that he's been 

 out a* the day 'maist naked! We canna get him 

 keepit in frae thae beasts o' his ! " 



" He'll soon get tired o' that," said Mrs. Kelman, 

 " if ye dinna lick him." " Never/' roared old Edward ; 

 " I'll chain him in the house, and see if that will cool 

 him." " But," rejoined Mrs. Kelman, " ye maunna 

 touch him the night, John." " I'll chain him to the 

 grate ! But where is he ? Bring him here." " He's 

 at my fireside." By this time Tom, having followed 

 at her heels, and heard most of what was said about 

 him, was ready to enter as she came out. " Far hae 

 ye been, you scamp?" asked his mother. "At the 

 Tide ! " His father on looking up, and seeing the 

 boy with the old petticoat about him, bedabbled by 

 the mud in which he had been playing, burst into a 

 fit of laughter. He leant back on his chair, and 

 laughed till he could laugh no more. 



" Oh. laddie," said the mother, " ye needna look 

 at me in that way. It's you that he's laughin' at, 

 you're sic a comical sicht. Ye'll gang to that stinkin' 

 place, man, till ye droun yoursel, and sine ye winna 



also used as an endearing phrase : my bonnie nickem is equivalent 

 to my little dear. 



