Till presently he hears a squeak,
And then a grane and gruntle;
He by his shouther ga'e a keek,
And tumbled wi' a wintle
Out-owre that night.

He roared a horrid murder-shout

In dreadfu' desperation!

And young and auld cam rinnin' out

And hear the sad narration:
He swore 'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie,
Till, stop-she trotted through them a'
And wha was it but Grumphie
Asteer that night!

Meg fain wad to the barn hae gaen,
To win three wechts o' naething;*
But for to meet the deil her lane,
She pat but little faith in:

She gies the Herd a pickle nits,
And twa red-cheekit apples,

To watch, while for the barn she sets,
In hopes to see Tam Kipples
That very night.

She turns the key wi' canny thraw,
And owre the threshold ventures;

But first on Sawny gies a ca',

Syne bauldly in she enters:

A ratton rattled up the wa',

And she cried out. "Preserve her!"
And ran through midden hole and a',
And prayed wi' zeal and fervour,
Fu' fast that night.

They hoy't out Will, wi' sair advice;

They hecht him some fine braw ane;

It chanced, the stack he faddom't thrice,†
Was timmer-propt for thrawin';

He taks a swirly auld moss oak

For some black, grousome carlin;
And loot a winze and drew a stroke,
Till skin in blypes cam haurlin'
Aff's nieves that night.
A wanton widow Leezie was
As canty as a kittlin;

groan, grunt

peep stagger

halting

crook-backed

the pig astir

would, gone corn-baskets

put few nuts

gentle

over

then boldly rat

urged, strong promised, one

measured timber, twisting twisted odious-looking fellow let, oath shreds, dragging

off his hands

merry, kitten

This charm must likewise be performed unperceived, and alone. You go to the barn, and open both doors, taking them of the hinges if possible; for there is langer that the being about to appear may shut the doors, and do you some mischief. Then take that instrument used in winnowing the corn which, in our country dialect, we call a wecht, and go through all the attitudes of letting down corn against the wind. Repeat it three times; and the third time an apparition will pass through the barn, in at the window door, and out at the other, having ooth the figure in question, and the appearance or retinue, marking the employ. ment or station in life.-B.

Take an opportunity of going, unnoticed, to a bean-stack, and fathom it three times round. The last fathom of the last time you will catch in your arms the ap pearance of your future conjugal yoke-fellow.-B.

But, och! that night, amang the shaws,
She got a fearfu' settlin'!

She through the whins, and by the cairn,
And owre the hill gaed scrievin,
Where three lairds' lands meet at a burn,*
To dip her left sark-sleeve in,
Was bent that night.

Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays,
As through the glen it wimpl't;
Whyles round a rocky scaur it strays;
Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't;
Whyles glittered to the nightly rays,
Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle;
Whyles cookit underneath the braes,
Below the spreading hazel,

Unseen that night.

Amang the brackens, on the brae,
Between her and the moon,

The deil, or else an outler quey,
Gat up and gae a croon:

woods [stones

gorse, heap of went swiftly

shift

sometimes, cascade

meandered

cliff

eddy

racing

appear and disappear

fern

unhoused moan

Poor Leezy's heart maist lap the hool;

almost, leapt, sheath

lark

missed, foot

Near lav'rock-height she jumpit,

But mist a fit, and in the pool
Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,
Wi' a plunge that night.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,

ears

The luggies three are ranged.

And every time great care is ta'en

To see them duly changed:

Auld uncle John, wha wedlock's joys

Sin' Mar's yeart did desire,

Because he gat the toom dish thrice
He heaved them on the fire

In wrath that night.

Wi' merry sangs, and friendly cracks,

I wat they did na weary;

And unco tales and funny jokes,

Their sports were cheap and cheery;

Till butter'd so'ns, wi' fragrant lunt,
Set a' their gabs a-steerin;

Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt,
They parted aff careerin'

Fu' blythe that night.§

dishes

empty

know strange

smoke

mouths

then, spirits

You go out, one or more, for this is a social spell, to a south running spring or rivulet, where three lairds' lands meet," and dip your left shirt-sleeve. Go to bed in sight of a fire, and hang your wet sleeve before it to dry. Lie awake: and some time near midnight, an apparition, having the exact figure of the grand object in question, will come and turn the sleeve, as if to dry the other side of it.-B.

The year 1715, when the Earl of Mar raised an insurrection in Scotland.
Sowens, with butter instead of milk to them, is the Hallowe'en supper.-B.
Most of these superstitious ceremonies have fallen into disuse.

But for the Muse, she'll never leave ye,
Though e'er sae puir,

Na, even though limpin' wi' the spavie
Frae door to door.

MAN WAS MADE TO MOURN.

A DIRGE.

WHEN chill November's surly blast
Made fields and forests bare,
One evening, as I wandered forth
Along the banks of Ayr,

I spied a man whose aged step
Seemed weary, worn with care;

His face was furrowed o'er with years,
And hoary was his hair,

"Young stranger, whither wanderest thou?
Began the reverend sage:

"Does thirst of wealth thy step constrain,

Or youthful pleasure's rage?

Or haply, prest with cares and woes,

Too soon thou hast began

To wander forth, with me, to mourn
The miseries of man.

"The sun that overhangs yon moors,
Outspreading far and wide,
Where hundreds labour to support
A haughty lordling's pride:
I've seen yon weary winter sun
Twice forty times return,

And every time has added proofs
That man was made to mourn.

Oh, man! while in thy early years,
How prodigal of time;

Misspending all thy precious hours,
Thy glorious youthful prime!
Alternate follies take the sway;
Licentious passions burn;

Which tenfold force gives Nature's law,
That man was made to mourn.

"Look not alone on youthful prime,
Or manhood's active might;
Man then is useful to his kind,
Supported is his right:

But see him on the edge of life,
With cares and sorrows worn;

Then age and want-oh ill-matched palr
Show man was made to mourn.

poor

"A few seem favourites of fate,
In pleasure's lap carest;

Yet think not all the rich and great
Are likewise truly blest

But, oh! what crowds in every land,
All wretched and forlorn!
Through weary life this lesson learn-
That man was made to mourn.

"Many and sharp the numerous ills
Inwoven with our frame!

More pointed still we make ourselves
Regret, remorse, and shame;
And man, whose heaven-erected face
The smiles of love adorn,

Man's inhumanity to man

Makes countless thousands mourn 1
"See yonder poor, o'erlaboured wight,
So abject, mean, and vile,
Who begs a brother of the earth
To give him leave to toil;
And see his lordly fellow-worin
The poor petition spurn,
Unmindful, though a weeping wife
And helpless offspring mourn.

"If I'm designed yon lordling's slave--
By Nature's law designed-
Why was an independent wish

E'er planted in my mind?

If not, why am I subject to
His cruelty or scorn?

Or why has man the will and power
To make his fellow mourn?

"Yet let not this too much, my son,

Disturb thy youthful breast;

This partial view of human kind
Is surely not the last!

The poor, oppressed, honest man

Had never, sure, been born,

Had there not been some recompense

To comfort those that mourn!

Oh, Death! the poor man's dearest friend

The kindest and the best!

Welcome the hour my aged limbs

Are laid with thee at rest!

The great, the wealthy, fear thy blow,

From pomp and pleasure torn

But, oh! a blest relief to those

That, weary-laden, mourn i"