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James Merle, an Autobiography, Ed. [or Rather, Written] by W. Black
James Merle an Autobiography Ed by W Black - or Rather, Written Author:William Black General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1864 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER VIII. fiofo % aStorlb Sought to Stifle fobt. "!t's unco true, your leddyship. But if a' maidens are gude, whither come a' the bad wives?" " You are learning wisdom, Dan." " Oo, ay, your leddyship. A wise man may pick up knowledge in the company o' fools -- saving your leddyship's presence." "Thank you, sir; I shall remember you when I have Miss Polly stabled-up at Bishopburn." "'Deed your leddyship's gey gleg wi' the switch at times, as Lord Hume said to his daft mother-in-law. And what for should I tak' ye to Bishopburn, gin these be the wages I may expeck?" " You would not lead astray a forlorn maiden, Dan?" "A forlorn maiden -- ma certes! Ane wha tries to mak' breaches in the affections o' whatever young blade she meets; and wha will wear these same garments -- to wit, breeches -- until the end o' her days." "Fie, fie, Dan! your smartness is becoming shallow." "Atweel-a-wat, your leddyship. Shallow water rins clear." "Why, then, will men marry in spite of all these unhandsome qualities they see in us, Dan?" "Weel, your leddyship," said Dan, scratching his head meditatively, "hanging and marriage come by luck, as the auld wife said to the minister, and there's little to choose between them. A married man's at the end o' a rope a' his days; and a hanged man's there for an hour or twa -- wherefore, the hanged man hath the better o't. And e'en as it's foreordained that a man's to be hanged, so is it that he is to be married, and there's little use trying to escape what's in store for him." "We shall have you before Muirend session, Dan, for heresy." "Thresh me, but gie me my vict...« less