, and make choice of him that
seemed more exactly cut out for my purpose. In the course of a few weeks
three or four cast up, among whom was a laddie of Ben Aits the
mealmonger, and a son of William Burlings the baker; to say little of the
callant of Saunders Broom the sweep, that would fain have put his
blackit-looking bit creature with the one eye and the wooden leg under my
wing; but I aye looked to respectability in these matters; so glad was I
when I got the offer of Mungo Glen.--But more of this in half a minute.

I must say I was glad of any feasible excuse to make to the sweep, to get
quit of him and his laddie, the father being a drucken ne'er-do-weel,
that I wonder did not fall long ere this time of day from some
chimney-head, and get his neck broken. So I told him at long and last,
when he came papping into my shop, plaguing me every time he passed, that
I had fitted myself; and that there would be no need of his taking the
trouble to call again. Upon which he gave his blacked nieve a desperate
thump on the counter, making the observation, that out of respect for him
I might have given his son the preference. Though I was a wee puzzled
for an answer, I said to him for want of a better, that having a timber
leg, he could not well creuk his hough to the shop-board for our trade.

"Hout, touts," said Saunders, giving his lips a smack--"Creuk his hough,
ye body you! Do you think his timber leg canna screw off?--That'll no
pass."

I was a little dumfoundered at this cleverness. So I said, more on my
guard--"True, true, Saunders, but he's ower little."

"Ower little, and be hanged to ye!" cried the disrespectful fellow,
wheeling about on his heel, as he grasped the sneck of the shop-door, and
gave a girn that showed the only clean parts of his body--to wit the
whites of his eyes, and his sharp teeth:--"Ower little!--Pu, pu!--He's
like the blackamoor's pig, then, Maister Wauch--he's like the
blackamoor's pig--he may be ver' leetle, but he be tam ould"; and with
this he showed his back, clapping the door at his tail without wishing a
good-day; and I am scarcely sorry when I confess, that I never cut cloth
for either father or son from that hour to this one, the losing of such a
customer being no great matter at best, and almost clear gain compared
with saddling myself with a callant with only one eye and one leg; the
one having fallen a victim to the dregs of the measles, and the other
having been harled off