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HIS FINIS. 



CHAPTER I. 



" I ne'er spent a Yule e'en like this in a' my life ! 

 No a morsel o' anything by ordinar' in the house to 

 bring in Yule wi' ! Alas, alas, that I should hae left 

 my gude faither for a man that grudges even his ain 

 bairn its Christmas ploy. If he had it no', I wadna 

 repine, but when I ken well that he has plenty o' 

 money hid away somewhere, it makes my inmost heart 

 burn wi' red wrath ! 'Deed, if I but kent where to 

 look for his hoardings I'd help myself and the bairn 

 to what would make our Yule like the Yules o' 

 auld times. faither, faither! ye never stinted 

 your lassies o' their fun; but ye were no' richt to 

 persuade me to tell-aff a bonnie young sailor for our 

 rich auld neighbour. It has been a sair bargain for 

 the silly fule o' a lass that consented to it. Ah, weel ! 

 I did no' mind so much while there was but myself to 

 please, for while my jewel of a bairn lay an infant in 

 my arms, I needed no better pleasure than to fondle 

 her. But now that she is a frolicsome lassie looking 

 for her fun like ither bairns, it is hard work I have to 



