The Ayrshire Legatees; Or, The Pringle FamilyGalt, John
General
The Ayrshire Legatees; Or, The Pringle Family
Galt, John
Scotland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
MY DEAR MISS MALLY--Trully, it may be said, that the croun of England is
upon the downfal, and surely we are all seething in the pot of
revolution, for the scum is mounting uppermost. Last week, no farther
gone than on Mononday, we came to our new house heer in Baker Street, but
it's nather to be bakit nor brewt what I hav sin syne suffert. You no my
way, and that I like a been house, but no wastrie, and so I needna tell
yoo, that we hav had good diners; to be sure, there was not a meerakle
left to fill five baskets every day, but an abundance, with a proper
kitchen of breed, to fill the bellies of four dumasticks. Howsomever, lo
and behold, what was clecking downstairs. On Saturday morning, as we
were sitting at our breakfast, the Doctor reading the newspapers, who
shoud corn intil the room but Andrew's grum, follo't by the rest, to give
us warning that they were all going to quat our sairvice, becas they were
starvit. I thocht that I would hav fentit cauld deed, but the Doctor,
who is a consiederat man, inquairt what made them starve, and then there
was such an opprobrious cry about cold meet and bare bones, and no beer.
It was an evendoun resurection--a rebellion waur than the forty-five. In
short, Miss Mally, to make a leettle of a lang tail, they would have a
hot joint day and day about, and a tree of yill to stand on the gauntress
for their draw and drink, with a cock and a pail; and we were obligated
to evacuate to their terms, and to let them go to their wark with flying
colors; so you see how dangerous it is to live among this piple, and
their noshans of liberty.
You will see by the newspapers that ther's a lection going on for
parliament. It maks my corruption to rise to hear of such doings, and if
I was a government as I'm but a woman, I woud put them doon with the
strong hand, just to be revenged on the proud stomaks of these het and
fou English.
We have gotten our money in the pesents put into our name; but I have had
no peese since, for they have fallen in price three eight parts, which is
very near a half, and if they go at this rate, where will all our legacy
soon be? I have no goo of the pesents; so we are on the look-out for a
landed estate, being a shure thing.
Captain Saber is still sneking after Rachel, and if she were awee
perfited in her accomplugments, it's no saying what might happen, for
he's a fine lad, but she's o'er young to be the heed of a family.
Howsomever, the Lord's will maun be done, and if there is to be a match,
she'll no have to fight for gentility with a straitent circumstance.
As for Andrew, I wish he was weel settlt, and we have our hopes that he's
beginning to draw up with Miss Argent, who will have, no doobt, a great
fortune, and is a treasure of a creeture in herself, being just as simple
as a lamb; but, to be sure, she has had every advantage of edication,
being brought up in a most fashonible boarding-school.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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