Murders > Tales for the farmers' ingle-neuk

at the threshold, asked her how she coaid bear to
have such, dirty doors? “Why does not your hus¬
band fetch a stone from the quarry?” “People who
are far from stones and from gravel may have
some excuse ; but you have the materials within,
and by half a day’s labour could have your door
made clean and comfortable. How then can
you have gone on so long with it in this
condition ?”
“Indeed, I. kenna, sir, “said Mrs MacClartyj
“the gud eman just canna be fash’d.”
“ And cannot you be fash’d to go to the end
of the house to throw out your dirty water ?
don’t you see how small a drain would from that
carry it down the river, instead of remaining
here to stagnate, and to suffocate you with in¬
tolerable stench ?”
“ O, we’re just used to it,” said Mrs Mac-
Clarty, “ and we never mind it. We couldna
be fash 'd to gang sae far wi’ a’ the slaistery.”
“ But what,” rteurned Mr Stewart, “ will
Mrs Mason think of all this dirt? She has
been used to see things in a very different sort
of order, and if you will be advised by her, she
will put you upon such a method of doing every
thing about your house, as will soon give it a
very different appearance.
Mrs Mason did indeed feel herself very un¬
comfortable amidst so much disorder and tilth-—
and was determined to effect a change if possible.
It was with much difficulty she could obtain
from Mrs MacClarty the assistance of Grizzy,
to make her own apartment comfortable $ the