all over. Out came Mrs. Keith. "Come yer ways in,
Wattie." "No, not now. I am going to take Marjorie wi' me, and you may
come to your tea in Duncan Roy's sedan, and bring the bairn home in your
lap." "Tak' Marjorie, and it _on-ding o' snaw!_" said Mrs. Keith. He
said to himself, "On-ding--that's odd--that is the very word." "Hoot,
awa! look here," and he displayed the corner of his plaid, made to hold
lambs,--the true shepherd's plaid, consisting of two breadths sewed
together, and uncut at one end, making a poke or _cul de sac_. "Tak' yer
lamb," said she, laughing at the contrivance; and so the Pet was first
well happit up, and then put, laughing silently, into the plaid neuk,
and the shepherd strode off with his lamb,--Maida gambolling through the
snow, and running races in her mirth.

Didn't he face "the angry airt," and make her bield his bosom, and into
his own room with her, and lock the door, and out with the warm, rosy
little wifie, who took it all with great composure! There the two
remained for three or more hours, making the house ring with their
laughter; you can fancy the big man's and Maidie's laugh. Having made
the fire cheery, he set her down in his ample chair, and, standing
sheepishly before her, began to say his lesson, which happened to be,
"Ziccotty, diccotty, dock, the mouse ran up the clock, the clock struck
wan, down the mouse ran, ziccotty, diccotty, dock." This done repeatedly
till she was pleased, she gave him his new lesson, gravely and slowly,
timing it upon her small fingers,--he saying it after her,--

"Wonery, twoery, tickery, seven;
Alibi, crackaby, ten, and eleven;
Pin, pan, musky, dan;
Tweedle-um, twoddle-um,
Twenty-wan; eerie, orie, ourie,
You, are, out."

He pretended to great difficulty, and she rebuked him with most comical
gravity, treating him as a child. He used to say that when he came to
Alibi Crackaby he broke down, and pin-Pan, Musky-dan, Tweedle-um,
Twoddle-um made him roar with laughter. He said _Musky-Dan_ especially
was beyond endurance, bringing up an Irishman and his hat fresh from the
Spice Islands and odoriferous Ind; she getting quite bitter in her
displeasure at his ill behavior and stupidness.

Then he would read ballads to her in his own glorious way, the two
getting wild with excitement over "Gil Morrice" or the "Baron of
Smailholm"; and he would take her on his knee, and make her repeat
Constance's speeches in "King John," till he s