Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-09-18
SAUNDERS M'GLASHAN'S COURT
SHIP.

saunders MCNldSudu was Il uduNAVNNh
weaver in rural part of Scotland many
years ago. Like many another Scotsman,
he was strongly possessed with the desire
to own the house he lived in. He bought
it, before he had saved money enough to
pay ior it, and he toiled day and night to
clear the debt, but died in the struggle,
He beQueathed the debt and his Blessing
to his wife and bairus When he was
dying he called his son to his bedside and
said, Saunders, ye're the eldest son and
We maun be father to the itSer BARNS,
see that they learn to read their bibles and
to write their names; and be guide to your
mother; and, Saunders, promise me that
yell see that the debt is paid. The son
promised, and the father died and was
buried in the auld kirkyard. Years passed
the BARNS were a married and ava ,
and Saunders was left alone with his
mother. She grew frail and DID, and he
nursed her with tender con
scious care. On the evening OF the
Ion gest summer day she lay dy.
ing. Saunders sat at her bedside and
they opened their hearts to each other on
the grandest themes. Stretching her
skinny hand out of the bedclothes, she
laid it on his head, now turning grey, and
said, Saunders, we've been guide lad
die, and I'm gaun to leave We. bless ye
and Heaven will bless you; for We have
dune Heavens biddn and honored your
father and mither, III see your father
the morn, and Ill tell him that the BARNS
are a wecl, and tat the debt was paid
lang or left the earth. She died, and
he laid her In the kirkyard beside his
father, and returned to the house he was
born malone. He sat down in his
fathers chair rovned with the priceless
crown of a deserved blessing, but there
was no voice to welcome him. "WhatlI
dae," he said. 81 think III just keep the
hoose myself" This was easily done, for
he lived very simply parritch or brose to
breakfast, tatters and herrin to dinner,
and brose or parritch again to supper
But when wintlr set In, his trials be-
gan, One dark morning he awoke
and said, What needs lie gantin' here,
I'll rise and get licht, 50 he get his
flint and steel and tender-boX and set to
work. Nowadays we strike match and
have light, but Saunders had no such easy
task. The sparks from the flint and steel
would not ignite the finder he struck
vehementIy, missed the fent deep into
his knuckes. This never do he cried,
81 m tired O this hfe-l'm determined to
haze wife" He succeeded at last in
lighting the fire and made his parritch,
but he burnt them, and the SCOT came
doom the lum and fell into them. 81 IN
poosshinin myself" be said 81 ~ ia in
ava frae my claes, an my breeks are
hingin' in wrinkles about me. I said in
my haste this mornin that | wad haze a
wife, and moo | say in my solemn leisure,
This very day | shall have wlfe!'
Saunders was supplemented man,
but no simpleton. He knew nothing of
the ways CT women Various maidens had
set their caps ut him, but he had never
seen it, He knew his Bible well, and ma
turally turned to Solomon for advice, but
did not get much comfort there. How
am | TO understand women, he said
"for Solomon was the wiscst man that
ever lived, and he said that he couldna
the ways o wOnlen-it was ma
Tor the want O. opportunity any way"
Instinct told him that when he went
a. wooing his best dress should 60 on; and
looking in the glass he said, 81 Gamma
rang to see the lasses wi beard like that.
% he shaved himself, altho' he was never
known to shave except on Saturday; and
he was such a strict Sabbatarian that If
he began TO shave late on Saturday night,
and the clock chappit twelve when he had
but one half of his face scrappit, he would
leave it till the Sunday was over The
shaving done, he rubbed his chin saying
with great simplicity. 81 think that
should dae for the lasses moo. Then he
turned and admired himself in the glass
for vanity is the last thing that dies, even
in mon. "Ye're not very ill-lookin
man after a.. Saunders but it's a very
weeI bein' guild lookin' and weel drest,
but whatna woman am gaun TO seek for
my wife,
He got at length paper and pencil and
wrote down with great deiiberation six fe.
male names in large half text, carefully
dotting all the ''i''s and stroking all the
It's, and surveying the list as follows
That's a the women mind about.
There's no great choice among tDem-let
me see" putting on his spectacles, lit 8
no wise like gaun courtin' when a body
needs TO wear specks. Several 0 them We
never spoken till, but | suppose that's Of
no consequence in this case There's Mary
Young. She's no very young. at ony rate.
Elspeth McFarlane, but she's blind 0 the
RIGHT ee; and it's not necessary that
Saunders McGlashan should marry an I'M.
perfect woman. Kmsty Forsyth-she's
been married twice already, an surely twa
mems enough for ony woman Mary Nor.
rison-a bonnie woman, but she's gotten
COMPOUNDED lang tongue, an they say the
nair upon her heads no her ain hair i IN
certain it's her ain tongue, at ony rate!
JEANNE Miller wi plenty 0 siller to
be despised. Janet Henderson wi plenty
D love ken that she has a guide
heart, for she was kind till her mither
and bedfast; an when ony barefooted
addie braks his taos, be rises and
yrowls. and runs straight to her house,
and he dights his hubby nose aud
slaps him on the head and says. rim
ava hame MOO. yen be man afore ser
mither.' Moo, which o thae SIX will 20
10 first think the first four can bile a
wee but the last twa--siller and loyei--
oye and siIleYi In. wadna IL - grand IL