d several Bibles. The saut-backet,
or salt-bucket, stood at the end of the fender, which was half of an
old cart-wheel. Here Cree worked, whistling "Ower the watter for
Chairlie" to make Mysy think that he was as gay as a mavis. Mysy grew
querulous in her old age, and up to the end she thought of poor, done
Cree as a handsome gallant. Only by weaving far on into the night
could Cree earn as much as six shillings a week. He began at six
o'clock in the morning, and worked until midnight by the light of his
cruizey. The cruizey was all the lamp Thrums had in those days, though
it is only to be seen in use now in a few old-world houses in the
glens. It is an ungainly thing in iron, the size of a man's palm, and
shaped not unlike the palm when contracted, and deepened to hold a
liquid. Whale-oil, lying open in the mould, was used, and the wick was
a rash with the green skin peeled off. These rashes were sold by
herd-boys at a halfpenny the bundle, but Cree gathered his own wicks.
The rashes skin readily when you know how to do it. The iron mould was
placed inside another of the same shape, but slightly larger, for in
time the oil dripped through the iron, and the whole was then hung by a
deck or hook close to the person using it. Even with three wicks it
gave but a stime of light, and never allowed the weaver to see more
than the half of his loom at a time. Sometimes Cree used threads for
wicks. He was too dull a man to have many visitors, but Mr. Dishart
called occasionally and reproved him for telling his mother lies. The
lies Cree told Mysy were that he was sharing the meals he won for her,
and that he wore the overcoat which he had exchanged years before for a
blanket to keep her warm.

There was a terrible want of spirit about Grinder Queery. Boys used to
climb on to his stone roof with clods of damp earth in their hands,
which they dropped down the chimney. Mysy was bed-ridden by this time,
and the smoke threatened to choke her; so Cree, instead of chasing his
persecutors, bargained with them. He gave them fly-hooks which he had
busked himself, and when he had nothing left to give he tried to
flatter them into dealing gently with Mysy by talking to them as men.
One night it went through the town that Mysy now lay in bed all day
listening for her summons to depart. According to her ideas this would
come in the form of a tapping at the window, and their intention was to
forestall the spirit. Dite Gow's