234 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 



my gillie's wife and daughter, a child of some fifteen 

 years, kept a small shop and managed the post-office, 

 so he was sent off for information, only to return to 

 tell me : " "Weel, sir, the wife was awa*, and the lassie 

 thocht the word Zoedone was something indeecent, and 

 so she joost left it oot." Dearly as the idiotic mistake 

 had cost me, it was yet impossible to help laughing. 



On another occasion a small boy put me to the 

 trouble and expense of a six hours' journey, for, having 

 mislaid an invitation, and forgetting whether it was 

 for the 17th. or 27th of the month, I wired to my 

 friend to send me a return message saying on which 

 date he expected me. He being away from home, 

 his agent, according to orders, opened the wire, and, 

 not knowing what arrangements had been made, and 

 yet being certain his chief would not be at home 

 on the 17th, wired me, ** Do not come seventeenth," 

 which message, when it reached me, read, " Do come 

 seventeenth." 



These two samples of telegraphic carelessness — for 

 which there is no remedy — were, however, but as trifles 



