The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 51 pages of information about The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction.

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 51 pages of information about The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction.
“I am going to attend the circuit court; but my feet have failed me on the road.”  And observing a pony in the farm-yard, he said, “That’s a bit nice pony of yours;—­is it to sell?—­would you like to part with it?” “A wad’ na’ care,” Wull says; “but ma brother Geordy, he’s the farmer; and he’s at Selkirk the day.  But if we could get a guid price for’t, a daresay we might part wi’t.”  “What do you ask for it?” says the stranger.  “Ma brother,” quoth Wull. “says it’s a thing we hae nae use for, and if we could get ought of a wiselike price for’t, it would be as well to let it gang.”  There were only two words to the bargain; the gentleman and Wull agreed.  Says the gentleman, “By the way, I cannot pay you to-night; but if you have any hesitation about me, my name is Henry Brougham, and I refer you to the Earl of Buchan, or Mr. George Currie, of Greenhead, who will satisfy you.”  It will be observed that the places of residence of this nobleman, and Henry’s brother advocate, Mr. Currie, were in the neighbourhood.  On this reference, without making any inquiry, honest, Wull immediately gave the gentleman the pony, with the necessary trappings.  Wull being a man of orderly habits, went early to bed; and next morning, when the business of the farm called him and Geordy together, says Wull to Geordy, “Ye was unco late in coming hame last night; aw salt the powny.”  “And wha did you sell it to?” “Oh, to a young gentleman.”  “And what did you get for’t?” Wull having mentioned the price—­“My faith,” says Geordy, “ye hae selt it weel.”  “But,” says Wull, “a did na’ get the siller.”  “You d—­d idiot, ye did na’ gie away the powny without getting the siller for’t; wha was he?” “Oh, he ca’d himsel’ Henry Brougham, and he said if a had ony jealousin’ about him, that the Earl of Buchan, or George Currie, advocate, Greenhead, would say he was guid enough for the money.  On, he was an honest-looking lad; a could hae trusted ony thing in his hand.”  Geordy’s temper became quite ungovernable at Wull’s simplicity.  After the whole southern circuit was finished, there was no word of payment, and Wull’s life became quite miserable at Geordy’s incessant grumbling and taunting; the latter ever and anon repeating, “What a d—­d idiot Wull was to gie the beest without the money till a man he kend naething about;” and the other as pertinaciously insisting, “that he (the gentleman) was an honest-looking man, there was nae fear o’ him.”  In the course of six weeks an order came for the payment of the steed.  “L—­d,” says Wull, “did na I tell ye he was an honest man, a kend by the look o’ him.”  From that moment Wull stood eminently high in Geordy’s eyes; and while the one chuckled at his penetration of character, the other was no less humbled at having called his superior judgment in question.  William Hall is still alive, and there is not a prouder man in Britain’s Isle than he is when he relates the little incident in his life, of which the present Lord Chancellor of Great Britain forms the hero.—­Schoolmaster.

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The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.