either my mother nor I thought much o', either. It
was just sae like a bit lively thochtless lassie, wha couldna be
expected to hae either the genealogy of a' her friends, or their
particular callins or residences, at her finger ends. However, as I said
before, we spent a pleasant evening thegither; and this followed by
eight as pleasant days, durin which time our fair guest continued to
make rapid progress in the affections o' baith my mother and me;
although, of course, the regard she excited was somewhat different in
its nature in the twa cases. In mine it was love--in my mother's esteem.
But a' this was to hae a sudden and curious termination. At the end o'
the eight days above alluded to, happenin to tak up a newspaper, I was
attracted by an advertisement bearing the following highly interesting
title--"Young Lady Missing." I read on, and found, to my amazement, that
the young lady was no other than my fair cousin. The notice stated, that
she had gone down to ----, to visit some relations; had left Edinburgh,
by the ---- coach, on the mornin of the 10th, and had been safely set
down at ----; but that her relations there had seen nothing of her, and
that no trace of her could since be found. The advertisement concluded
by offering a handsome reward to any one who could give any such
information as might lead to a discovery of the young lady, either to
Mr. William Smith, haberdasher, ----, or to Mr. William Smith, No. 19,
Lavender Street, Edinburgh.

Here, then, was a queer business. But, bein now somewhat accustomed to
thae things, I was at nae loss to discover the meanin o't. The young
lady wasna my cousin at a'--she had come to the wrang shop. She was a
niece o' Willie Smith the haberdasher's--and there was the mystery
solved at ance. It turned oot precisely sae. There was an awfu kick-up,
and an awfu rejoicin, and shakin o' hands, and writin o' letters, and
sae forth, after I had announced to the different parties how the matter
stood, and brocht them thegither. But I wasna gaun to lose my fair
cousin this way. I followed her to Willie Smith's, whar I was a welcome
aneuch guest, and availed mysel to the full o' the advantages which a
curious chance had thrown in my way, by eventually makin her my wife;
and, as I said before, a most admirable one she made, and still maks, as
she is sittin by my elbow at this present writin.

Noo, guid reader, sae far hae I brocht the story o' my life, or
perhaps, rather o' my unf