ays owre, I began the world in the capacity o' shopman to
my faither, wha was a hosier to business, and carried on a sma', but
canny trade in that line. He wasna to ca' wealthy, but he was in easy
aneuch circumstances, an' had laid by a trifle, which was intended for
me, his only son an' heir. I was now in my twentieth year, the heyday of
youth; an', why should I hesitate to say it, a sensible, judicious,
well-meanin, an' good-lookin lad, but (I hesitate to say this, though)
wi' a great deal mair sentiment in my nature than was at a' necessary
for a hosier. How I had come by it, Heaven knows; but so it was. I was
fu' o' romance, an' fine feelin, an' a' that sort o' thing, an' wi' a
heart most annoyingly susceptible o' the tender passion. It was just
like tinder, as somebody has said--I think it was Burns--catched fire in
an instant. For some time, however, as is the case with most youths, I
dare say, my love was general, and was pretty equally divided amongst
_all_ the young and good-lookin o' the other sex whom I happened to see
or meet wi'; but it at length concentrated, an' dwelt on one object
alone--(this was a case o' love at first sicht)--a beautiful an' amiable
girl, wha attended the same kirk in which I sat. I hadna the slightest
personal acquaintance wi' her, nor ony access to her society; but this
didna hinder me adorin her in my secret heart, nor prevent me puttin
doon stockins to customers when they asked for nightcaps. In short,
before I kent whar I was, I was plump owre head an' ears in love,
distractin love, wi' my fair enslaver, an' rendered useless baith to
mysel an' every ither body. Never did the tender passion so engross, so
absorb the feelins an' faculties o' a human bein, as it did those o' me,
Willie Smith the hosier, on this occasion. I was absolutely beside
mysel, an' felt as if livin and breathin in a world o' my ain. This
continued for several months; an' yet, durin all that time, I had
remained content wi' worshippin the object o' my adoration at a
distance, an' that only on Sundays, for I rarely saw her through the
week. Whan I said, however, that I was content wi' this state o'
matters, I am no sure that I hae said precisely what was true. Had I
said that I lacked courage to mak ony nearer advances, I wad, perhaps,
hae expressed mysel fully mair correctly. This was, in fact, the case; I
couldna muster fortitude aneuch to break the ice, an' yet I didna want
encouragement either. My fair captiv