s was I
encouraged, by little and little, together with a sharp remarking of the
inclination and bent of men's minds, to entertain the hope and assurance
of rising to the top of all the town, as this book maketh manifest, and
the incidents thereof will certificate.

Nothing particular, however, came to pass, till my wife lay in of her
second bairn, our daughter Sarah; at the christening of whom, among
divers friends and relations, forbye the minister, we had my father's
cousin, Mr Alexander Clues, that was then deacon convener, and a man of
great potency in his way, and possessed of an influence in the
town-council of which he was well worthy, being a person of good
discernment, and well versed in matters appertaining to the guildry. Mr
Clues, as we were mellowing over the toddy bowl, said, that by and by the
council would be looking to me to fill up the first gap that might happen
therein; and Dr Swapkirk, the then minister, who had officiated on the
occasion, observed, that it was a thing that, in the course of nature,
could not miss to be, for I had all the douce demeanour and sagacity
which it behoved a magistrate to possess. But I cannily replied, though
I was right contented to hear this, that I had no time for governing, and
it would be more for the advantage of the commonwealth to look for the
counselling of an older head than mine, happen when a vacancy might in
the town-council.

In this conjuncture of our discoursing, Mrs Pawkie, my wife, who was
sitting by the fireside in her easy chair, with a cod at her head, for
she had what was called a sore time o't, said:--

"Na, na, gudeman, ye need na be sae mim; every body kens, and I ken too,
that ye're ettling at the magistracy. It's as plain as a pikestaff,
gudeman, and I'll no let ye rest if ye dinna mak me a bailie's wife or a'
be done"--

I was not ill pleased to hear Mrs Pawkie so spiritful; but I replied,

"Dinna try to stretch your arm, gude-wife, further than your sleeve will
let you; we maun ca'canny mony a day yet before we think of dignities."

The which speech, in a way of implication, made Deacon Clues to
understand that I would not absolutely refuse an honour thrust upon me,
while it maintained an outward show of humility and moderation.

There was, however, a gleg old carlin among the gossips then present, one
Mrs Sprowl, the widow of a deceased magistrate, and she cried out aloud:--

"Deacon Clues, Deacon Clues, I redd you no to believe