, 1864-02-27
FROM WILSON'S TALES OF TIE BORDERS. ]
MY Black Coat.

bush on the Dunbar and Lauder roads, us
with the face Of an acquaintance, l made
choice of the less frequented path by Long
formacus. 1t was December; the sun had
just gone down; | was pot very partial to
travelling in darkness, neither did wish to
trust to chance for finding q comfortable
recting -plaee for the night. poreeiYinE
farm-steadng and water-mill about quar-
ter Of mile from the road, resolved to
turn towards them and make inquiry respect
ing the right rath, or, at least, to request to
be directed to the nearest inn.
The town, as the three or four houses and
The female inhabitants were cleaning and
securing, and running to and fro. Iquickly
learned that all this note of preparation arose
from the "nlaister" being to be married
within three days. Seeing me stranger,
he came from his house towards me. He
was tall, stout, good-lOoking, jolly7taced
farmer and miller. His manner Of accost-
ing me partook more Of kindlincss than
ciyility; and his inquiries were not free from
the familiar, prying curiosity which prevails
in every corner of our island, and, | must
say, in the north in particular.
"Whcrc do you come fra, ma, if it be
fair question 2" inquired he.
"From b. was the brief and merely
civil reply. ..,.. -.
"An' hac ye come frae there the day?"
he continued. -.....
Yes" was the answer.
cay, man, an ye come frae b., do ye ?"
added he. "Then, nae dout, yell ken
person they ca Mr.. -"
"Did he come originally from Dunse 2"
returned /, mentioning also the occupation
Of the person referred to.
"The very same," rejoined the miller !;
Z" are ye acquainted wi him, sirY' ,'t[
81 ought to be-" replied 1 "the person
you speak Of is merely my father"
"Yom faithcr!' exclaimed he, opening
his mouth and eyes to their full width, and
standing for moment the picture of sur
prise: " Guide gracious ye dinna say sac !
Is he really yonr father? Losh, man, do
you no ken, then, that I'm your cousin 7
Ye'ye heard o your cousin, Willie Stew
art 2" M 'aHia iet
"Fifty times" replied I.
GWeol, Tn the vera man." said he.
Gie's your hand; for, 'odsake man, I'm us
glad as glad can be. Tllisis real extraor-
dinar. I've often heard o you--it will be
you that writes the buiks-faith yell be
able to max something o this. But come
ava into the house-ye dinna stir mile
far'er for week, at ony rate" .....--
So saying, and still grasping my hand, he
led me to the farmhouse. On crossing the
threshold a.a ..-se
Here, lassic," he cried, in voice that
made roof and mfters ring, bring ben the
specrits, and get on the kettle; here's cou-
sin that l ne'cr saw in my life afore."
A few minutes served mutually to con-
firm aud explain our newly discovered rela-
tionship.
Man." said he, as we were filing Sc
cond glass, "ye've just come in the very
nick o time, an I'll tell 70 how. Ye see
I'm gaun to be married the day after the
morn; an no haein' friend o ony kin-kind
in this quarter, I had to ask an acquaintance
to be the best-man. Now this was vexin'
me mair than 70 can think, particularly, ye
see, because the sweetheart has aye been
limiting to me that It wadna be lucky for me
no to hae bluid relation for bestman.
For that matter, indeed, luck here, luck
there, no care the toss up o ha'penny
about omens mysel'; but now that ye've
fortunately come, I'm great deal easier,
an il will be nc craik out O the way, for it
will please her, an ye may guess, between
You an. me-, that she's worth the plcasin', or
lwadua had her; go I'm just step over an
tell the ither lad that / hac cousin come
to be my bestman, an he'll think naething
o't" .4ese .sf tts
On the morning Of the third day, thebridc
and her friends arrived. She was the only
child Of Lammermoor farmer, and was in
truth real mountain Aower-a heath bios
som for the rude health that laughed upon
her cheeks approached nearer the hue Of the
heather-belf than the rose and verniilion of
which poets speak. She was cOmely withal;
possessing an appearance OF considerable
strength, and was rather above the middle
sizc--in short, she was, the very beau ideal
Of a miller's wife. e
But to 60 on. Twelve couple accompa-
MED the happy miller and his bride to the
manse, independent Of the married, middle
aged, aud grey-baired visitors, who followed
behind and BY our side We were thus
proceeding onward to the house Of the min
ister, whose blessing was to make couple
happy and the arm Of the blooming bride
was through mine, when / heard a voice, or
rather let me say a sound, like the croak Of
raven, exclainl--
Mercy on US saw ye e'er the like o
that the bcst-man, III declare, has blnck
coat on!"
0An' that's no lucky replied another.
Lucky r responded the raven voice;
q Just perfectly awfu' ! wadna it had
happened at the weddin' O BARN o mine
for the Kings dominions."
Iobserved the bride steal glahce at my
shoulder; Ifelt, or thought | felt, as if she
shrank from my arm; and when | spoke to
her, her speech faltered. ] found that my
cousin, in avoiding one omen, had stumbled
upon another, in my black coat. Twas
wroth with the rilral prophecies, and turned
round to behold her. He little grey eyes,
twinkling through spectacles, were winking
upon my ill-fated coat She was crooked,
ugly, little, old woman; she was bearded
like pard," and walked with crooked
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