me out for a month gin simmer,
when he would let him see all worthy observation along the country side.

When we had shaken hands with Mungo, and, after fastening his comforter
about his neck, wished him a good journey, we saw him mounted on the
front of limping Jamie's cart; and, as he drove away, I must confess my
heart was grit. I could not help running up the stair, and pulling up
the fore-window to get a long look after him. Away, and away they wore;
in a short time, the cart took a turn and disappeared; and, when I drew
down the window, and sauntered, with my arms crossed, back to the
workshop, something seemed amissing, and the snug wee place, with its
shapings, and runds, and paper-measurings, and its bit fire, seemed in my
eyes to look douff and gousty.

Whether in the jougging of the cart, or what else I cannot say, but it's
an unco story; for on the road, it turned out that poor Mungo was seized
with a terrible pain in his side; and, growing worse and worse, was
obliged to be left at Lauder, in the care of a decent widow woman that
had a blind eye, and a room to let furnished.

It was not for two-three days that we learnt these awful tidings, which
greatly distressed us all; and I gave the driver of the Lauder coach
threepence to himself, to bring us word every morning, as he passed the
door, how the laddie was going on.

I learned shortly, that his father and mother had arrived, which was one
comfort; but that matters with poor Mungo were striding on from bad to
worse, being pronounced, by a skeely doctor, to be in a galloping
consumption--and not able to be removed home, a thing that the laddie
freaked and pined for night and day. At length, hearing for certain that
he had not long to live, I thought myself bound to be at the expense of
taking a ride out on the top of the coach, though I was aware of the
danger of the machine's whiles couping, if it were for no more than to
bid him fare-ye-weel--and I did so.

It was a cold cloudy day in February, and everything on the road looked
dowie and cheerless; the very cows and sheep, that crowded cowering
beneath the trees in the parks, seemed to be grieving for some disaster,
and hanging down their heads like mourners at a burial. The rain whiles
obliged me to put up my umbrella, and there was nobody on the top beside
me, save a deaf woman, that aye said "ay" to every question I speered,
and with whom I found it out of the power of man to carry on any rati