28 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



offered him as much of her home-made woollen cloth 

 as would make him a coat, and this offer was accepted. 

 The custom in those days was for the farmers to get 

 the tailors to the house to make their clothes. It was 

 said that this custom arose from a desire to keep 

 the tailors in the straight path of morality, so far as 

 possible, by having the exact length of cloth required 

 cut in the presence of its owner. At the time spoken 

 of the household did not happen to require the tailors. 

 Nevertheless, the owner of the pound was anxious to 

 have his coat. But, as they neither knew the length 

 of cloth required, nor felt disposed to send the whole 

 piece for the tailor to take what was necessary, there 

 appeared to be no help for it but to wait. It is said 

 with some truth that all things come to those who 

 know how to wait, but the waiting policy is not very 

 acceptable to the ardent temper of the young, and 

 perhaps would not be over-wholesome for them if it 

 were. 



Anyhow, without weighing the maxims of pro- 

 verbial philosophy, David, who had had a good deal 

 of practice in mending his own clothes, conceived 

 the bold idea of making the coat himself. This piece 

 of presumption he mentioned to his mistress, but she 

 would not hear of it at all, telling him that he would 

 only destroy the good cloth. His own belief was 

 that, by taking to pieces the coat he was wearing, 

 which was a good fit, he could shape the new one by 

 it. In regard to the mere sewing part of his task he 

 had no fear. This idea he brought before his mistress. 

 She saw that the thing was barely possible, but did 

 not believe that he could carry it out, and still urged 



