and
Janet--who felt slighted--that was only made up at the laying-out of
Chirsty's father-in-law, to which Janet was pleasantly invited.

When they had red up the house, the Auld Licht lassies sat in the
gloaming at their doors on three-legged stools, patiently knitting
stockings. To them came stiff-limbed youths who, with a "Blawy nicht,
Jeanie" (to which the inevitable answer was, "It is so, Cha-rles"),
rested their shoulders on the doorpost, and silently followed with
their eyes the flashing needles. Thus the courtship began--often to
ripen promptly into marriage, at other times to go no further. The
smooth-haired maids, neat in their simple wrappers, knew they were on
their trial and that it behoved them to be wary. They had not
compassed twenty winters without knowing that Marget Todd lost Davie
Haggart because she "fittit" a black stocking with brown worsted, and
that Finny's grieve turned from Bell Whamond on account of the
frivolous flowers in her bonnet: and yet Bell's prospects, as I happen
to know, at one time looked bright and promising. Sitting over her
father's peat-fire one night gossiping with him about fishing-flies and
tackle, I noticed the grieve, who had dropped in by appointment with
some ducks' eggs on which Bell's clockin hen was to sit, performing
some sleight-of-hand trick with his coat-sleeve. Craftily he jerked
and twisted it, till his own photograph (a black smudge on white)
gradually appeared to view. This he gravely slipped into the hands of
the maid of his choice, and then took his departure, apparently much
relieved. Had not Bell's light-headedness driven him away, the grieve
would have soon followed up his gift with an offer of his hand. Some
night Bell would have "seen him to the door," and they would have
stared sheepishly at each other before saying good-night. The parting
salutation given, the grieve would still have stood his ground, and
Bell would have waited with him. At last, "Will ye hae's, Bell?" would
have dropped from his half-reluctant lips; and Bell would have mumbled
"Ay," with her thumb in her mouth. "Guid nicht to ye, Bell," would be
the next remark--"Guid nicht to ye, Jeames," the answer; the humble
door would close softly, and Bell and her lad would have been engaged.
But, as it was, their attachment never got beyond the silhouette stage,
from which, in the ethics of the Auld Lichts, a man can draw back in
certain circumstances, without loss of honour. The