128 AN ANGLER'S BASKET. 



" did'st thou feel that ? " " Feel it ! " said the other, " I 

 should think ah did feel it." "Well," said the first, "it 

 would have been a miracle if tha hadn't." 



I recall a yarn about a Scottish laird, who was relating 

 the story of a fine fish he had caught one day to some 

 friends at his dinner table. " Donald," said he to the 

 servant behind his chair an old man, but a new servant, 

 "how heavy was that fish I took yesterday?" Donald 

 neither spoke nor moved. "Donald, are you deaf?" said 

 the laird, "how heavy was that salmon I took yesterday? " 

 " Weel," replied Donald, " it was twal' pund at breakfast, 

 it had gotten to achteen at dinner time, and it was sax-and- 

 twenty when ye sat down to supper with the Captain ; " 

 then, after a short pause, he added : " ah've been tellin' lees 

 a* my life to please the shooters, but ah'll be dawmed if 

 aw'm going to tell lees noo, through my old age, to please 

 the fushers ; " and, of course, his master was delighted. 



* * 



A lowly cobbler in a much frequented bye-street of 

 Glasgow used to hammer and stitch, stitch and hammer, all 

 day long, and, however much he had to do, he sang loudly 

 and merrily at his work. When the cobbler was silent the 

 neighbours and the passers-by, who were many, knew that 

 something was amiss, for, however dreary the weather might 

 be, the cobbler hammered and sang as blithely as a lark. 

 One day the minister came down the street when the 

 cobbler was silent. " Bless me," said he to himself as he 

 approached, " what is the matter with Jock the morn ? " 

 "Jock, are ye no well that ye are sae glum?" "Weel, 

 meenister, awm no well, as ye sae. I have some sad news. 

 The agent o' this house, in which ah was born, and my 

 father before me, and a' my forebears, has gone and let the 



