Scotland/Scots > Licht frae the smiddy o' Saunders Dinwuddie

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sensible sufferer twa or three hearty kicks wi’ his
tackety brogues, skulks aff, chucklin’fiendishly at
the bloody deed he has done. Some o’ the
neighbours come out and find the poor man
doubled up in the street, as if he were dead.
They streek him out on a window shutter, or
trintle him hame on a wheel-barrow ; a horrible
present o’ bluid and glaur to his horrified wife and
“A gruesome picture, Saunders, but law
and justice will overtake and punish the offender.”
“Aye, o’o aye, the scoondrel will likely be
grippit and punished too, in a fashion as clear con-
trair to reason and common sense as onything can
weel be. The law at last gets a baud o’ him,
tak’s him by the cuff o’ the neck, provides him
wi’ board and lodgin’, syne brings him before his
betters. He is found guilty, fined ten shillings,
mairor less, or is sent to jail for some weeks. Is it a
fine ? He laughs at it, for his fiendish associates
club their groats or tippences to help the wretch
out of the clutches o’ the law, that looks
at the culprit wi’ a covetous, greedy e’e, and plays
the part o’ a pickpocket. Shame on sic law and
sic punishment on sic ne’er-do-weels. Yet, masters
ha’e been kent to advance siller to relieve the mis¬
creant, because, when they doze him wi’ strong
drink, they find him to be a reckless, profitable
monster in doing desperate wark. Then, what
does the law do when it picks the sinner’s pouch,
but punish his wife and family ; aiblins that can-
na weel be helpit. I would just say, what does
the law for the half-murdered man ? It did’na
protect him. He may live or dee, so far as the