Other Times, other Manners. 255 



Here is another ot the " skits" which was published 

 in the Gazette of Jan. ist, 1825 : — 



" When, Mr. Editor, will wonders cease ? — I was 

 taking last evening, my customary walk along the Main 

 Street, ruminating on scenes of past happiness, and 

 creating in perspe6lion a little world for fancy to rove in 

 unrestrained, — when all these airy visions were put to 

 flight by a rapid footstep approaching me. I drew my 

 " mind's eyes" from the ideal world I had just pi6lured, 

 and beheld a man hurrying towards me, with his hands 

 thrust deep into his breeches pockets, his mouth open 

 to that enormous extent as at first to excite a dread that 

 the poor fellow had cut his throat, and his eyes so com- 

 pletely out of their sockets as to render a very consider- 

 able olfa6lory protuberance but a slight obstacle to their 

 mutual recognition. 



" I unconsciously made way for him, and turning 

 as he passed, my astonishment may be easily conceived 

 at beholding him grasp the extended hand of another 

 individual bearing similar marks of terror in his counte- 

 nance. I halted in hopes of ascertaining the cause 

 of these e'xtraordinary symptons, when one of them 

 suddenly' exclaimed in an alarmed but impressive tone, 

 " Weel, DONALT, h'ae ye seen the Peast." — " Lord, mun," 

 said the other, " be canny wi' your tongue ; ca' ye 

 yon crater a Peast ?" — " Guid guide us DUGALT, / 

 thought it was the Laird I' " And troth it's unca like 

 her nain sel," added the first, " I got a fearfu' scare ; 

 I maist fell intil a trance." " But,'' continued he, 

 " DoNALT, that's no the Peast I'm specing aboot, it's 

 anither ane wi' wungs — I never saw the like o' it. — It's 

 a' that a body can di to take it in wi' his eyne, and for a' 



KK 



