and indignantly left the room, banging the door after him.  A characteristic anecdote of one of these old domestics I have from a friend who was acquainted with the parties concerned.  The old man was standing at the sideboard and attending to the demands of a pretty large dinner party; the calls made for various wants from the company became so numerous and frequent that the attendant got quite bewildered, and lost his patience and temper; at length he gave vent to his indignation in a remonstrance addressed to the whole company, “Cry a’ thegither, that’s the way to be served.”

I have two characteristic and dry Scottish answers, traditional in the Lothian family, supplied to me by the late excellent and highly-gifted Marquis.  A Marquis of Lothian of a former generation observed in his walk two workmen very busy with a ladder to reach a bell, on which they next kept up a furious ringing.  He asked what was the object of making such a din, to which the answer was, “Oh, juist, my lord to ca’ the workmen together!” “Why, how many are there?” asked his lordship.  “Ou, juist Sandy and me,” was the quiet rejoinder.  The same Lord Lothian, looking about the garden, directed his gardener’s attention to a particular plum-tree, charging him to be careful of the produce of that tree, and send the whole of it in marked, as it was of a very particular kind.  “Ou,” said the gardener, “I’ll dae that, my lord; there’s juist twa o’ them.”

These dry answers of Newbattle servants remind us of a similar state of communication in a Yester domestic.  Lord Tweeddale was very fond of dogs, and on leaving Yester for London he instructed his head keeper, a quaint bodie, to give him a periodical report of the kennel, and particulars of his favourite dogs.  Among the latter was an especial one, of the true Skye breed, called “Pickle,” from which soubriquet we may form a tolerable estimate of his qualities.

It happened one day, in or about the year 1827, that poor Pickle, during the absence of his master, was taken unwell; and the watchful guardian immediately warned the Marquis of the sad fact, and of the progress of the disease, which lasted three days—­for which he sent the three following laconic despatches:—­

Yester, May 1st, 18—.  MY LORD, Pickle’s no weel.  Your Lordship’s humble servant, etc.

Yester, May Id, 18—.  MY LORD, Pickle will no do.  I am your Lordship’s, etc.

Tester, May 3d, 18—.  MY LORD, Pickle’s dead.  I am your Lordship’s, etc.

I have heard of an old Forfarshire lady who, knowing the habits of her old and spoilt servant, when she wished a note to be taken without loss of time, held it open and read it over to him, saying, “There, noo, Andrew, ye ken a’ that’s in’t; noo dinna stop to open it, but just send it aff.”  Of another servant, when sorely tried by an unaccustomed bustle and hurry, a very amusing anecdote has been