arassed
feelins, an' to afford me the relaxation an' amusement I sought, an' o'
which I had sae much need. At first, I resolved on takin every possible
public an' private measure that could be commanded to counteract the
evil reports, o' ae kind an' anither, under which baith mysel personally
an' my family were labourin. I thocht on gaun roun to a' the
acquaintances on whom I had just been ca'in, an' explainin to them the
real state o' the case; an' then followin up this proceedin wi' ca'in on
the editors o' the twa papers in which the injurious statements had
appeared, an' requestin, nay, insistin, on their puttin in a true
version o' the story, at the same time carefully markin my identity, an'
separatin me frae a' discreditable transactions, of every kind, degree,
an' character whatsoever. A' this I thocht o' doin, I say; but, on
reflection, I changed my mind, an' determined no to gie mysel ony such
trouble, but just to let things tak their course, an' trust to my ain
conduct, an' the weel-kent respectability o' my faither, for the guid
opinion o' the warld. Anent the rumour o' oor bankruptcy, however, I
thocht there could be nae harm in puttin in an advertisement or twa,
contradictory o't; an' this was accordingly done, in the following brief
terms:--

"William Smith, hosier, ----, begs to inform his friends and the
public, that he is not the same person whose name appears in the
bankrupt list published in the ---- newspaper of the 15th inst. All
claims on the advertiser will be paid, on demand, at his shop."

This advertisement I handed into the offices o' twa Glasgow papers that
same nicht, an' next mornin saw me safely perched on the tap o' the
coach for oor ain place, glad that a' my misadventures were owre, an'
that I was soon to be at hame again; for I was sick o' Glasgow--an' the
reader will allow no withoot some reason. The coach on which I was
mounted was just aboot to start, the driver had taen the reins in his
hand, an' the guard was strugglin to get up the last trunk, whan the
waiter o' the inn in which I had been stoppin, an' which was at the head
o' a prodigiously lang close, just at the startin-place, cam rinnin up,
an' cried, lookin at the same time at the passengers--

"Is there a Mr. Smith here?"

I expected that half-a-dozen at least wad hae owned the name; but, to my
surprise, there was no Mr. Smith amang them, but mysel.

"They ca' me Smith, my man--what is it?" said I, wi' a suspicious loo