part of the project accomplished, and
the landlords gradually, of their own free-will, put up the ronns, by
which the town has been greatly improved and convenienced.

But new occasions call for new laws; the side pavement, concentrating the
people, required to be kept cleaner, and in better order, than when the
whole width of the street was in use; so that the magistrates were
constrained to make regulations concerning the same, and to enact fines
and penalties against those who neglected to scrape and wash the
plainstones forenent their houses, and to denounce, in the strictest
terms, the emptying of improper utensils on the same; and this, until the
people had grown into the habitude of attending to the rules, gave rise
to many pleas, and contentious appeals and bickerings, before the
magistrates. Among others summoned before me for default, was one Mrs
Fenton, commonly called the Tappit-hen, who kept a small change-house,
not of the best repute, being frequented by young men, of a station of
life that gave her heart and countenance to be bardy, even to the
bailies. It happened that, by some inattention, she had, one frosty
morning, neglected to soop her flags, and old Miss Peggy Dainty being
early afoot, in passing her door committed a false step, by treading on a
bit of a lemon's skin, and her heels flying up, down she fell on her
back, at full length, with a great cloyt. Mrs Fenton, hearing the
accident, came running to the door, and seeing the exposure that perjink
Miss Peggy had made of herself, put her hands to her sides, and laughed
for some time as if she was by herself. Miss Peggy, being sorely hurt in
the hinder parts, summoned Mrs Fenton before me, where the whole affair,
both as to what was seen and heard, was so described, with name and
surname, that I could not keep my composure. It was, however, made
manifest, that Mrs Fenton had offended the law, in so much, as her flags
had not been swept that morning; and therefore, to appease the offended
delicacy of Miss Peggy, who was a most respectable lady in single life, I
fined the delinquent five shillings.

"Mr Pawkie," said the latheron, "I'll no pay't. Whar do ye expeck a
widow woman like me can get five shillings for ony sic nonsense?"

"Ye must not speak in that manner, honest woman," was my reply; "but just
pay the fine."

"In deed and truth, Mr Pawkie," quo she, "it's ill getting a breek off a
highlandman. I'll pay no sic thing--five shillin