at een, turning at their tow rocks, spread it round the kintry, and every body’s mouth was fill’d wi’ Jockey and Jenny, and how Maggy had parted wi’ bairn.
At last Mess John Hill hears of the horrid action, and sends the elder of that quarter and Clinkum Bell the grave-maker, to summon Jockey and Jenny to the session, and to see how the stool of repentance wad set them, no sooner had they entered the door but Maggy fa's a greeting, and wrining her hands; Jockey’s mither fell a flyting, and he himfelf a rubbing his lugs, and riving his hair, saying, O gin I were but a half ell higher, I sud be a soger or it be lang: an gie me a good flail or a corn fork, I sun kill Frenchmen anew, before I gade to face yon flyting ministers, an be set up like a warld’s wonder on their cock-stool or black-stool, an wha can hide the shame, whan every body looks to them, wi' their sacken sarks or gowns on them, like the piece of an auld canvas prickt about a body for naething but what every body does amaist, or they be metried as well as me.
Mit.] My man Johnny, ye re no the first that has done it, an ye’ll no be the last; een mony o' the ministers has done it themselves, hout ay, your father and I did it mony a time.
Mag.] Ay, ay, and that gars your son be so good o't as he is, the thing that’s bred in the flesh, is ill to pit out o’ the bane.
Mit.] Dait woman, what way wad the warld stand if fouks wadna mak use o’ ither? 'tis the thing that’s natural, bairns getting; therefore it's no to be feunard at.
Mag.] Ay, ay, but an they be for the like o that they should marry
Mit.] But I think there’s little ill tho’ they try it ance or twice or they be married? his an unca'thing till a body to be bound to a business, if they dinna ken whether they be sole for it or no.
