Scotland/Scots > Wilson's tales of the Borders and of Scotland > Volume 3

146
TALES OF THE BORDERS.
for another; and that even my remote and sequestered
situation was no protection to me whatever from annoyance
and persecution; and I therefore resolved to quit and re¬
turn once more to the town, to make another trial of the
justice of mankind; and in this resolution I was confirmed
by a letter which I shortly after this received from the
proprietor whose lands adjoined the small patch of ground
that was attached to the house I resided in.
“ Sir,” began this new correspondent, “ you must be
aware that it is the business of the tenant of the house you
occupy to keep the drain which passes your garden in an
efficient state, throughout the length of its passage by your
ground. Now, sir, it is, at present, far from being in
such a condition; and the consequence is, that a large
portion of my land in your neighbourhood is laid under
water, to my serious loss. I therefore request that you
will instantly see to this, to prevent further trouble. I am,
sir,” &c.
Well, gentlemen (continued our melancholy friend), to
prevent this further trouble, and to keep, if possible, on
goods terms with my neighbour, I went, immediately on
receipt of his letter, and examined the drain in question;
resolving, at the same time, to do what he requested, or
rather commanded, if it could be done at a reasonable cost,
although I conceived that it was a matter with which I
had nothing to do. It was an affair of my landlord’s alto¬
gether, I thought, especially as nothing had been said to me
about the drain when I took the house—at least nothing
that I recollected. However, as I have said, I determined,
for peace’s sake, to repair it in the meantime, and to take
my landlord in my owrf hand for restitution. On looking
at the drain, I found it indeed in a very bad state, and
immediately sent for a person skilled in such matters to
give me an idea of what might be the cost of putting it in
a proper order; and was informed that it might be ppt in