recorded.  His mistress, a woman of high rank, who had been living in much quiet and retirement for some time, was called upon to entertain a large party at dinner.  She consulted with Nichol, her faithful servant, and all the arrangements were made for the great event.  As the company were arriving, the lady saw Nichol running about in great agitation, and in his shirt sleeves.  She remonstrated, and said that as the guests were coming in he must put on his coat, “Indeed, my lady,” was his excited reply, “indeed, there’s sae muckle rinnin’ here and rinnin’ there, that I’m just distrackit.  I hae cuist’n my coat and waistcoat, and faith I dinna ken how lang I can thole[42] my breeks.”  There is often a ready wit in this class of character, marked by their replies.  I have the following communicated from an ear-witness:—­“Weel, Peggy,” said a man to an old family servant, “I wonder ye’re aye single yet!” “Me marry,” said she, indignantly; “I wouldna gie my single life for a’ the double anes I ever saw!”

An old woman was exhorting a servant once about her ways.  “You serve the deevil,” said she.  “Me!” said the girl; “na, na, I dinna serve the deevil; I serve ae single lady.”

A baby was out with the nurse, who walked it up and down the garden.  “Is’t a laddie or a lassie?” said the gardener.  “A laddie,” said the maid.  “Weel,” says he, “I’m glad o’ that, for there’s ower mony women in the world.”  “Hech, man,” said Jess, “div ye no ken there’s aye maist sawn o’ the best crap?”

The answers of servants used curiously to illustrate habits and manners of the time,—­as the economical modes of her mistress’s life were well touched by the lass who thus described her ways and domestic habits with her household:  “She’s vicious upo’ the wark; but eh, she’s vary mysterious o’ the victualling.”

A country habit of making the gathering of the congregation in the churchyard previous to and after divine service an occasion for gossip and business, which I remember well, is thoroughly described in the following:—­A lady, on hiring a servant girl in the country, told her, as a great indulgence, that she should have the liberty of attending the church every Sunday, but that she would be expected to return home always immediately on the conclusion of service.  The lady, however, rather unexpectedly found a positive objection raised against this apparently reasonable arrangement.  “Then I canna engage wi’ ye, mem; for ‘deed I wadna gie the crack i’ the kirk-yard for a’ the sermon.”

There is another story which shows that a greater importance might be attached to the crack i’ the kirk-yard than was done even by the servant lass mentioned above.  A rather rough subject, residing in Galloway, used to attend church regularly, as it appeared, for the sake of the crack; for on being taken to task for his absenting himself, he remarked, “There’s nae need to gang to the kirk noo, for everybody gets a newspaper.”