And she promised she never would, and gave him a sprig of rosemary out of her garden to wear for a breastknot.

The villagers were greatly mortified when they discovered the mistake they had made.  However, the oldest woman always maintained that her not having her spectacles on, when she met the stranger the second time, was the reason of her not seeing that he loved butter; and the schoolmaster gave his poetical abstraction for an excuse.  Mine host of the “Boar’s Head” fairly tore his hair, and flung the pewter porringer, which he had thrown after the stranger and his dog, into the well.  After that he was very careful how he turned away strangers because of their appearance.  Generally he sent for the oldest woman to put her spectacles on, and try the buttercup test.  Then, if she said they loved butter and were Lindsays, they were taken in and entertained royally.  She generally did say they loved butter—­she was so afraid of making a mistake the second time, herself; so the village-inn got to be a regular refuge for beggars, and they called it amongst themselves the “Beggars’ Rest,” instead of the “Boar’s Head.”

As for Margary, she grew up to be the pride of the village; and in time, Lord Lindsay’s son, who had always kept the sprig of rosemary, came and married her.  They had a beautiful wedding; all of the villagers were invited; the bridegroom did not cherish any resentment.  They danced on the green, and the Lindsay pipers played for them.  The bride wore a white damask petticoat worked with pink roses, her pink satin shortgown was looped up with garlands of them, and she wore a wreath of roses on her head.

The oldest woman came to the wedding, and hobbled up to the bridegroom with a buttercup.  “Thou beest a Lindsay,” said she.  “Thou lovest butter, and the Lindsays all did.  I know, for I was nurse in the family a hundred year ago.”

As for the schoolmaster, he was distressed.  His wife had taken his poem on the stranger for papers to curl her hair on for the wedding, and he had just discovered it.  He had calculated on making a present of it to the young couple.

However, he wrote another on the wedding, of which one verse is still extant, and we will give it: 

  “When Lindsay wedded Margary,
  Merrily piped the pipers all. 
  The bride, the village-pride was she,
  The groom, a gay gallant was he. 
  Merrily piped the pipers all. 
  When Lindsay wedded Margary.”

THE BOUND GIRL.

This Indenture Wittnesseth, That I Margaret Burjust of Boston, in the County of Suffolk and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England.  Have placed, and by these presents do place and bind out my only Daughter whose name is Ann Ginnins to be an Apprentice unto Samuel Wales and his wife of Braintree in the County afores:^d, Blacksmith.  To them and their Heirs and with them the s:^d Samuel Wales, his wife and their Heirs, after the manner