36 Reception on Return. [oHaP. I. 
ing, “Meggy, he’s come!” “Oh, the nickem !’”* said Tom’s 
mother, “surely he’s dead wi? cauld by this time. Fat 
can we do wi him? Oh, Mrs. Kelmar, he’ll break my very 
heart! Think o’ him being oot for haill days without ony 
meat! Often he’s oot afore he gets his breakfast, and we 
winna see him again till night. Only think that he’s been 
out a’ the day ’maist naked! We canna get him keepit in 
frae thae beasts o’ his!” 
“He'll soon get tired o’ that,” said Mrs. Kelmar, “if ye 
dinna lick him.” ‘ Never!” roared old Edward ; “Tl chain 
him in the house, and see if that will cool him.” ‘ But,” 
rejoined Mrs. Kelmar, “ye maunna touch him the night, 
John.” “T’ll chain him to the grate! But where is he? 
Bring him here.” “He’s at my fireside.” By this time, 
Tom, having followed at her heels, and heard most of what 
was said about him, was ready to enter as she came out. 
“Far hae ye been, you scamp ?” asked his mother. “ At the 
Tide!” His father, on looking up, and seeing the boy with 
the old petticoat about him, bedabbled by the mud in which 
he had been playing, burst into a fit of laughter. He leaned 
back on his chair, and laughed till he could laugh no more. 
“Oh, laddie,” said the mother, “ye needna look at me 
in that way. It’s you that he’s laughin’ at, you're sic a 
comical sicht. Ye’ll gang to that stinkin’ place, man, till 
ye droun yoursel, and sine ye winna come back again.” 
Tom was then taken in hand, cleaned, and scrubbed and 
put to bed. Next morning his father, before he went out, 
appeared at the boy’s bedside, and said, “If ye go out this 
day, sir, ll have you chained.” “ But,” replied Tom, “ ye 
hinna a cooch;”+ for he had no notion of any thing being 
chained but dogs. ‘Never mind,” said his father, “I'll 
chain you!” 
* Nickem, a person given to mischievous tricks. The word is also 
used as an endearing phrase: my bonnie nickem is eqtfivalent to my 
little dear. 
+ Cooch, « dog-kennel. 
