The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-20
MAGGIE LAUDER,
THE FISH-WIFE,
Tells of Her Adventures at the
Ball OF the Thistle Club.

Master Editor: Our Sandy cam hame a
few NIGHTS ago and says he maggie, Chief
Fraser o. the San Francisco Scottish Thistle
Club sent you that, WI the compliments o. the
club" He handed Inc an envelope, containin' a
bonnie ticket and programme. 10 the eighth
annual ball Tor distribution o prizes, an says
lie: They wad like tae see ye AT the ball.
Preserve me, Sandy" says l, but they're unco
liberal; but Pm sure We ken fine hnna COON
could gang In" Hoo muckle clalth dis il TAX
tae max Il COON ?" says he. ABBOT twenty-five or
therly yards" says L. ''Wuman. ye maun be
dementit," says he; That muckle clath wad
carry snip tae Chna.' 81 Gamma help that"
says l.; that's just what it takes" and after a
guild deal o. grumblin' he put his han IN his
pouch and geld me seventy cents, VIZ 4 Caution
tae max ii gang as far L could an no tae
speu' IL a, Mind" says lie, II dinna want We
lac gang unless ye be like ltDer folk"
Weel, It's no oIten We 80 GOT aud sill sedemer
we gang lac what ye might ca gran ball, but
somenoo or ither L didna want my Sandy tae
gang alane, for whan lie IS anans they HeIan'
and Lowlan' folk lie never thinks O. comm
hame. Weel, had all awfu' time getting ready
to gang. L had iva o the BARNS picking the gray
haus GOT o my held at the rate o d penny u dir
Zen. ana at the end o. an hour L lo0klt III The
glass to see II lookit Ony younger, an dldna
ken ony ODDS, they were there YET thick as
RUderick Dhu's clansmen, far ''above, below,
stood out at once the lurking ioe." | gied ii up
Tor bad job an L sent ane o. The BARNS AVA
tae tell colored Teddy Chat sews for llvin), TO
come over an gle me 4 han, and wad gle her
two or Three pennies an' a guild bowl O tea.
The time he was AVA for her gaed up tae the
galret Lac hunt UP dress coat Tor Sandy. They
Delapged rae my father afore lie was marrit He
was butler tae Tie Duke o. Argyle at That time
ABBOTT forty years syne, but for a. that there no
a bit Waur u the wear, and they jist hi ed Sandy
fine, ana he's raei prood o. them, an everybody
that at the bali said lie lookt rael wee
Sandy" says l. I'm sayin send Johnnie owre
tae Tam HOUd's and ask hun Iae tue ball; he is
sic bonnie dancer III the Scotch reel, an well
- pHlr a1t III ia 20 slg "a tn
stating that lie had tae gang Tor the howdle an
cUutdna come. Neel, Sandy an the auldest
lassie got ready. had promised TO TAX her WI
me, for she's better Cancer than her mltller,
although she's only Seevrn years aud, an had
just gotIen the three youngest anes Ill their bed
when
MA AULDEsT LADDIE
Cam in WI the colored Teddy. l was ver-
ra prOod o. my looks. am l wanted tae gang
early and get seat Ioried, PARTLY that could
see an hear a that was gaen on and PARTLY that
"a The folks behlnt me could see ma Draw red
bannet. | was soon ready, and II We had seen
the look o. admiration cor Sadly gIed NE, an
SAYS lie, "Alag.ie, l never thocht that seventy
cents could max sic j change on ye." Weel. by
the time we were ready The BARNS were a.
wauken, an' telling yin anither that their father
and mltner was GAVIN ava tae be marrii but We
gied them some sweeties an left them weel
pleased, am the auldest laddie greetin' because
l wadna TAX him. He's 10 year aud an grau'
greeter. / was often thinker / could max
plenty O. sller by hlrn him DOT TO greet at tuner
ais at saa muckle an hoor. But we got started at
last, went uUOu hdIhct oticcb Tao lIoI hiu an
intae the Pavilion. my, what muckle ha'
Ihon Is. ddna think ony club caud I'LL II, but
the Thistle did afore II o'clock. The hall was
grand WI flags aud slieamers, the Stars and
Stripes enlwiued up WI The flag O. auld Scotland,
lion rampant an The handsomf new flag the
thistle, present lae the club from Captain Plege
o. the ship Benlarlg, that lie ordered fra Glasca.
Weol, after a the gran prizes were delivered
tae the winners, we "a got ready for the gran'
MAJ eli. The club pliers blowed up their pipes
and led about thOoSen couples aroon' The large
aud weel-waXe floor. Chief Hugh Fraser and
his modest wife was first couple, then his OFF,
GERS, ciansmen and ladies' followed, TIL the hoor
was covered VIZ dancers. When the march was
finished they formed into Quadlllle, but wad
sumo gang through whirr bush as through
acknowledgements Sandy. Rab Henderson.
JocN Smith, Sandy Grant and their leddles,
wIaur we had a social crack. Syne we got back
tae the ballroom in time for a Scotch Ieel. Nae
body could resist the bonnie strains o. the pipes
for the reel an they were a. on their feet III a
meenit, an like Tam O'Shantef's witches,
They reeld, they set. they crossed an cleek It,
Till ilka carlin swat an reek 1t.
1t did ma HART guild tae hae reel THAT'S what
ye micnt ca dancing. We waukened up the Verre
cockToaches in the cracks o. the floor. The wee
bit laddes and lasses dressed i'll their bonnie
kits danced verre wee, but OF the grown-up
folks (an' tho self-praise is nae honoD
THE BEST DANCERS
Were DOR Sandy an me, jock Smith, Rab Hen
derson Sandy AlatIeson and leddies. The reel
made us awful dry so we gied ben tae The re-
freshment-room aud had dram. Syne we
aSkcL JOCK SllllI Lde nlc US otuBt 81 uc iou uS
in gram style, 'Scailand Yet" and 'Whan ye
Gang Ava, Jamle?" Tine Barrin' o the Door,"
and for an encore sang veire sweetly, "bonnie
Mary O. Argyle" just as jock was finishing
his sang, up cam a ealn. thought ii was
Jimmie McCallum o. Sacramento and his vile.
She uuco Draw in her brocaded COON, a
trimmed up all room with thlngimy things so
she gied us u sang "Londons Bonnie Wads aud
Braes" and 80. a the ARTS the win can blaw."
She was tremendously encored, and after guld
deal o. priggn' she sang 81 Gamma Bde the
Men," We gied AVA tao see what
our lassie and the ither batns were daein' an
there wis aud Sonter, The tailor Qrae San JOSEF
VII his held droukit WI water. He was glen
the BARNS q temperance lecture, nae doot.
Everybody seemed to be enjoying theirsePs fine:
Sandy says, "Maggie, look at they four lads"
YIN was Waite Robertson fra Stockton. Wat.
Tie is fine singer; but whan Dauyit Keller
cam owre tae sing dor he's sac sweet he must
be some freen o. Keller, The Dundee marma.ade
man)-as l was sayin', he cam owre wi iva
dogs and started to slug Scots VIVA uae"; but
whaneYer he commenced the IVA dogs started
they wanted tae help him. so lie had 10 ge't ~.
It's peety that Jock 5. Mackay gied owre
wearn he XIII, for no Thistle man o, them a
wore't WI the same dignity and grace. Then we
tae dance the next reel VIZ me. Says
he: maggie, Gamma dae't; my pouches
croou thaps WI me at intermisslon. II danced
WI ye moo, The scons wad be A. DOT on The floor
o. the ballroom in meenit." A bonnie sodger
| chappe askit me tae dance the reel. but re-
| fused him. If had been young lass, coudna
hae refused nun. for | had aye Il llkin for sod
| gers an this ans had sic taken way VIZ him.
! Then came iniermlssiOn. Iva bonnie callans in
| Heilan costume and their leddies, Sandy and 1
went tae supper. 1t was hard work tor me lac
| get through WI chicken, roast turkey. an "a the
| iIher things. for hinna mOny teeth, but l NAH
| aged tae demollSh as muckle as onyDody else,
| ana we marched back tae the ball room, and had
| a. the dances and pleasant company that could
| be desired. Pur Mrs. Tamson was awiully DIS
| appointed. Aud Peter Br0on had promised 10
| come for her at O'Clock WI the buggy, aud the
mi
| ready, but Peter had game into McIntosh's, an
| he forgot ABBOTT the ball aud everything else.
Such Is li.e-naetbing but ups ana do0ns, an the
| DalPs bye, an we're a. back lac the aud thing
| oYXre agaIn. MAGGIE LAUDER. The Fish Wife.