to us; our present one is an awful slow coach.  In fact, the sending her to us was a regular do.  But we hope some day to sport buttons.  My father and mother paid us a visit last week.  The governor is well, and, notwithstanding years and infirmities, comes out quite a jolly old cove.  He is, indeed, if you will pardon the partiality of a daughter, a regular brick.  He says he will help us if we can’t get on, and I make no doubt will in due time fork out the tin.  I am busy working a cap for you, dear aunty; it is from a pretty German pattern, and I think when finished will be quite a stunner.  There is a shop in Regent Street where I hire patterns, and can get six of them for five bob.  I then return them without buying them, which I think a capital dodge.  I hope you will sport it for my sake at your first tea and turn out.

     “I have nothing more to say particular, but am always

     “Your affectionate niece,

     “ELIZA DINGWALL.”

“P.S.—­I am trying to break Willie off his horrid habit of taking snuff.  I had rather see him take his cigar when we are walking.  You will be told, I daresay, that I sometimes take a weed myself.  It is not true, dear aunty.”

Before leaving the question of change in Scottish expressions, it may be proper to add a few words on the subject of Scottish dialects—­i.e., on the differences which exist in different counties or localities in the Scottish tongue itself.  These differences used to be as marked as different languages; of course they still exist amongst the peasantry as before.  The change consists in their gradual vanishing from the conversation of the educated and refined.  The dialects with which I am most conversant are the two which present the greatest contrast, viz. the Angus and the Aberdeen, or the slow and broad Scotch—­the quick and sharp Scotch.  Whilst the one talks of “Buuts and shoon,” the other calls the same articles “beets and sheen.”  With the Aberdonian “what” is always “fat” or “fatten;” “music” is “meesic;” “brutes” are “breets;” “What are ye duin’?” of southern Scotch, in Aberdeen would be “Fat are ye deein’?” Fergusson, nearly a century ago, noted this peculiarity of dialect in his poem of The Leith Races:—­

     “The Buchan bodies through the beach,
        Their bunch of Findrams cry;
      And skirl out bauld in Norland speech,
        Gude speldans fa will buy?”

“Findon,” or “Finnan haddies,” are split, smoked, and partially dried haddocks.  Fergusson, in using the word “Findrams", which is not found in our glossaries, has been thought to be in error, but his accuracy has been verified singularly enough, within the last few days, by a worthy octogenarian Newhaven fisherman, bearing the characteristic name of Flucker, who remarked “that it was a word commonly used in his youth; and, above all,” he added, “when Leith Races were held on the sands, he was like to be deeved wi’ the lang-tongued hizzies skirling out, ’Aell a Findram Speldrains,’ and they jist ca’ed it that to get a better grip o’t wi’ their tongues.”