in the “but” or living-room (as it was termed in scotland) of a little whitewashed thatched cottage near auld ayr in the land of the doon, sat a quiet, sedate trio of persons consisting of two men and a woman. she who sat at the wheel busily engaged in spinning was the mistress of the cot, a matronly, middle-aged woman in peasant’s cap and ’kerchief.
the other two occupants of the room for years had been inseparable companions and cronies, and when not at the village inn could be found sitting by the fireside of one of their neighbors, smoking their pipes in blissful laziness. and all ayrshire tolerated and even welcomed tam o’shanter and his cronie, “souter johnny.”
tam was an ayrshire farmer, considered fairly well-to-do in the neighborhood, while souter (shoemaker) johnny was the village cobbler, who seldom, if ever, worked at his trade nowadays. all the afternoon had they sat by the open fireplace, with its roomy, projecting chimney, watching the peat burn, seldom speaking, smoking their old smelly pipes, and sighing contentedly as the warmth penetrated their old bones.
[2]
mrs. burns glanced at her uninvited guests occasionally with no approving eye. if they must inflict their presence on her, why couldn’t they talk, say something, tell her some of the news, the gossip of the village? she thought angrily; their everlasting silence had grown very monotonous to the good dame. she wished they would go. it was nearing supper time, and gilbert would soon be in from the field, and she knew that he did not approve of the two old cronies hanging around monopolizing the fireplace to the exclusion of everyone else, and she did not want any hard words between them and gilbert. suddenly with a final whirl she fastened the end of the yarn she was spinning, and getting up from her seat set the wheel back against the whitewashed wall.
then going to the old deal dresser, she took from one of the drawers a white cloth and spread it smoothly over the table, then from the rack, which hung above it, she took the old blue dishes and quickly set the table for their evening meal. at these preparations for supper the old cronies looked eagerly expectant, for none knew better than they the excellence of the widow burns’ cooking, and a look of pleasant anticipation stole over their sober faces as they perceived the platter of scones on the table ready to be placed on the hot slab of stone in the fireplace.
knocking the ashes from his pipe, tam rose unsteadily to his feet, and standing with his back[3] to the fire, he admiringly watched the widow as she bustled to and fro from table to dresser. “ah, mistress burns, ye’re a fine housekeeper,” he remarked admiringly. “an’ ye’re a fine cook.”
mrs. burns turned on him sharply. “so is your guidwife,” she said shortly, glancing out through the low, deep, square window to where her second son could be seen crossing the field to the house. she hoped he would take the hint and go.
“aye, mistress, i ken ye’re recht,” replied tam, meekly, with a dismal sigh. “but it’s a sorry bet o’ supper i’ll be gang hame to this night, an’ ye ken it’s a long journey, too, mistress burns,” he insinuated slyly.
“sure it’s a lang, weary journey, tam,” said souter johnny, commiseratingly. “but think o’ the warm welcome ye’ll be haein’ when ye meet your guidwife at the door,” and a malicious twinkle gleamed in his kindly but keen old eyes.
“how is your guidwife, tam o’shanter?” inquired mistress burns, as she placed some scones on the hot hearthstone to bake.
“she’s a maist unco woman, mistress,” replied tam sorrowfully. “there’s no livin’ wi’ her o’ late. she’s no a help or comfort to a mon at a’!” he whined. here tam got a delicious whiff of the baking scones, and his mouth as well as his eyes watered as he continued pathetically, “if she could only cook like ye, mistress. oh, ’twas a sorry day for[4] tam o’shanter when he took such a scoldin’ beldame for wife,” and tam sat down, the picture of abject distress.
souter regarded his cronie with a grim smile. he had no pity for tam, nor for any man, in fact, who would not or could not rule his own household. (souter, by the by, had remained a bachelor.) however, he did his best to console tam whenever his marital troubles were discussed.
“never mind, tam,” he said sympathetically, helping himself to a scone while mistress burns’ back was turned. “ye ken where ye can find all the comfort and consolation ye can hold, if ye hae the tippence.”
tam wiped away a tear (tears came easily to the old tyke in his constant state of semi-intoxication) and gave a deep, prolonged sigh. “aye, souter, an’ i feel mair at home in the inn than i do with my guidwife,” he answered mournfully. “i dinna mind telling ye, she’s driven me to the deil himsel’, by her daur looks an’ ways. the only friend i hae left is old john barleycorn,” and he wailed in maudlin despair.
“he’s your best enemy, ye mean,” retorted souter dryly, relighting his pipe, after having demolished, with evident relish, the last of his stolen scone.
“waesucks, mon,” he continued, assuming the tone of dominie daddy auld, who had tried in vain to convert the two old sinners, much to their amusement and inward elation. “your guidwife told ye[5] weel. ye’re a skellum, tam, a blethering, blustering, drunken blellum,” and the old rogue looked slyly at mistress burns to note the effect of his harangue.
“aye, ye’re right, souter johnny,” said the good dame, nodding approval to him, and going up to tam, who was still sitting groaning by the fireside, she shook him vigorously by the shoulder. “stop your groaning and grunting, ye old tyke, and listen to me,” she said sharply. “take your friend’s advice and gi’ old john barleycorn a wide berth.” here her voice dropped to a whisper, “or some day ye’ll be catched wi’ warlocks in the mire, tam o’shanter.” he stopped his noise and straightened up in his chair.
“aye, and ghosties and witches will come yelpin’ after ye as ye pass the auld haunted kirk at alloway,” added souter sepulchrally, leaning over tam with fixed eyes and hand outstretched, clutching spasmodically at imaginary objects floating before tam’s suspicious, angry eyes. tam, however, was not to be so easily frightened, and brushing souter aside, he jumped to his feet. “souter johnny, dinna ye preach to me, mon,” he roared menacingly. “ye hae no reght. let daddy auld do that! i dinna fear the witches or ghosties, not i.” he staggered to the window and pointed to an old white horse standing meekly by the roadside.
“do ye see any auld faithful maggie standin’ out there?” he cried triumphantly. not waiting for[6] their answer, he continued proudly, “nae witches can catch tam o’shanter when he’s astride his auld mare’s back, whether he is drunk or sober,” and he glared defiantly at his listeners. at that moment the door from the “ben” opened, and gilbert burns entered the room. an angry frown wrinkled his forehead as his gaze fell upon the two old cronies. a hard worker himself, he could not abide laziness or shiftlessness in another. he strode swiftly up to tam, who had suddenly lost his defiant attitude, but before he could speak the bitter, impatient words which rushed to his lips, his mother, knowing his uncertain temper, shook her head at him remonstratingly. “ah, lad, i’m fair ye hae come in to rest a while, an’ to hae a bit o’ supper,” she hurriedly said. “set ye doon. i hae some scones for ye, an’ mollie has some rabbit stew. noo gie me your bonnet and coat, laddie,” and taking them from him she hung them on the peg behind the door, while gilbert with a look of disgust at the two old cronies sat down and proceeded to butter his scones in moody silence. tam and souter, however, did not appear in any wise abashed, and perceiving they were not to be invited to eat with gilbert, they resumed their seats each side of the fireplace and heaved a disconsolate sigh.
mrs. burns, who had left the room for a moment, now entered bearing a large bowl of the steaming stew, which she set before her son, while directly after her appeared old mollie dunn, the half-witted household[7] drudge. the time was when mollie had been the swiftest mail carrier between dumfries and mauchline, but she was now content to have a home with the burns family, where, if the twinges of rheumatism assailed her, she could rest her bones until relief came. she now stood, a pleased grin on her ugly face, watching gilbert as he helped himself to a generous portion of the stew which she had proudly prepared for the evening meal.
“molly,” said her mistress sharply, “dinna ye stand there idle; fetch me some hot water frae the pot.”
molly got a pan from the rack and hurried to the fireplace, where tam was relighting his pipe with a blazing ember, for the dozenth time. molly had no love for tam, and finding him in her way, she calmly gave a quick pull to his plaidie, and tam, who was in a crouching position, fell backward, sprawling on the hearth in a decidedly undignified attitude. with the roar of a wounded lion, he scrambled to his feet, with the assistance of souter, and shaking his fist at the laughing molly, he sputtered indignantly, “is the deil himsel’ in ye, molly dunn? ye’re an impudent hussy, that’s what ye are.” molly glared at him defiantly for a moment, then calmly proceeded to fill her pan with hot water, while the old man, bursting with indignation, staggered over to the dresser where mistress burns was brewing some tea.
[8]
“mistress burns,” he remonstrated almost tearfully, “ye should teach your servants better manners. molly dunn is a——” but he never finished his sentence, for molly, hurrying back with the hot water, ran into him and, whether by design or accident it was never known, spilled the hot contents of the pan over tam’s shins, whereupon he gave what resembled a burlesque imitation of a highland fling to the accompaniment of roars of pain and anger from himself and guffaws of laughter from souter and molly. even mrs. burns and gilbert could not resist a smile at the antics of the old tyke.
“toots, mon,” said molly, not at all abashed at the mischief she had done, “ye’re no hurt; ye’ll get mair than that at hame, i’m tellin’ ye,” and she nodded her head sagely.
“molly, hold your tongue,” said mistress burns reprovingly, then she turned to tam. “i hope ye’re nae burnt bad.” but tam was very angry, and turning to souter he cried wrathfully, “i’m gang hame, souter johnny. i’ll no stay here to be insulted; i’m gang hame.” and he started for the door.
“dinna mind molly; she’s daft like,” replied souter in a soothing voice. “come and sit doon,” and he tried to pull him toward the fireplace, but tam was not to be pacified. his dignity had been outraged.
“nay, nay, souter, i thank ye!” he said firmly.[9] “an’ ye, too, mistress burns, for your kind invitation to stay langer,” she looked at him quickly, then gave a little sniff, “but i ken when i’m insulted,” and disengaging himself from souter’s restraining hand, he started for the door once more.
“an’ where will ye be gang at this hour, tam?” insinuated souter slyly. “ye ken your guidwife’s temper.”
“i’m gang over to the inn,” replied tam defiantly, with his hand on the open door. “will ye gang alang wi’ me, souter? a wee droppie will cheer us both,” he continued persuasively.
souter looked anxiously at gilbert’s stern, frowning face, then back to tam. “i’d like to amazin’ weel, tam,” he replied in a plaintive tone, “but ye see——”
“johnny has promised me he’ll keep sober till plantin’ is over,” interrupted gilbert firmly; “after that he can do as he likes.”
“ye should both be ashamed o’ yoursel’s drinkin’ that vile whisky,” said mrs. burns angrily, and she clacked her lips in disgust. “it is your worst enemy, i’m tellin’ ye.”
“ye mind, mistress burns,” replied souter, winking his left eye at tam, “ye mind the scriptures say, ‘love your enemies.’ weel, we’re just tryin’ to obey the scriptures, eh, tam?”
“aye, souter,” answered tam with drunken gravity, “i always obey the scriptures.”
[10]
“here, mon, drink a cup of tea before ye gang awa’,” said mrs. burns, and she took him a brimming cup of the delicious beverage, thinking it might assuage his thirst for something stronger. tam majestically waved it away.
“nay, i thank ye, mistress burns, i’ll no’ deprive ye of it,” he answered with extreme condescension. “tea doesno’ agree with tam o’shanter.” he pushed open the door. “i’m off to the inn, where the tea is more to my likin’. guid-day to ye all,” and, slamming the door behind him, he called maggie to his side, and jumping astride her old back galloped speedily toward the village inn. the last heard of him that day was his voice lustily singing “the campbells are coming.”
after he left the room mistress burns handed souter the cup of tea she had poured for tam, and soon the silence was unbroken save by an occasional sigh from the old tyke as he sipped his tea.
presently gilbert set down his empty cup, rose and donned his coat. “here we are drinking tea, afternoon tea, as if we were of the quality,” he observed sarcastically, “instead of being out in the fields plowing the soil; there’s much to be done ere sundown.”
“weel, this suits me fine,” murmured souter contentedly, draining his cup. “i ken i was born to be one o’ the quality; work doesno’ agree wi’ me, o’er weel,” and he snuggled closer in his chair.
[11]
“ye’re very much like my fine brother robert in that respect,” answered gilbert bitterly, his face growing stern and cold. “but we want no laggards here on mossgiel. farmers must work, an’ work hard, if they would live.” he walked to the window and looked out over the untilled ground with hard, angry eyes, and his heart filled with bitterness as he thought of his elder brother. it had always fallen to him to finish the many tasks his dreaming, thoughtless, erratic brother had left unfinished, while the latter sought some sequestered spot where, with pencil and paper in hand, he would idle away his time writing verses. and for a year now robert had been in irvine, no doubt enjoying himself to the full, while he, gilbert, toiled and slaved at home to keep the poor shelter over his dear ones. it was neither right nor just, he thought, with an aching heart.
“ye ken, gilbert,” said souter johnny, breaking in on his reverie, “robert wasna’ born to be a farmer. he always cared more, even when a wee laddie, for writin’ poetry and dreamin’ o’ the lasses than toilin’ in the fields, more’s the pity.”
mrs. burns turned on him quickly. “souter johnny, dinna ye dare say a word against robert,” she flashed indignantly. “he could turn the best furrough o’ any lad in these parts, ye ken that weel,” and souter was completely annihilated by the angry flash that gleamed in the mother’s eye, and it was a very humble souter that hesitatingly held out[12] his cup to her, hoping to change the subject. “hae ye a wee droppie mair tea there, mistress burns?” he meekly asked.
mrs. burns was not to be mollified, however. “aye, but not for ye, ye skellum,” she answered shortly, taking the cup from him and putting it in the dishpan.
“come along, souter,” said gilbert, going to the door. “we hae much to do ere sundown and hae idled too long, noo. come.”
“ye’re workin’ me too hard, gilbert,” groaned souter despairingly. “my back is nigh broken; bide a wee, mon!”
a sharp whistle from without checked gilbert as he was about to reply. “the posty has stopped at the gate,” exclaimed mistress burns excitedly, rushing to the window in time to see old molly receive a letter from that worthy, and then come running back to the house. hurrying to the door, she snatched it from the old servant’s hands and eagerly held it to the light. molly peered anxiously over her shoulder.
“it’s frae robbie,” she exclaimed delightedly. “keep quiet, noo, till i read it to the end.” as she finished, the tears of gladness rolled down her smooth cheek. “oh, gilbert,” she said, a little catch in her voice, “robert is comin’ back to us. he’ll be here this day. read it, lad, read for yoursel’.” he took the letter and walked to the fireplace. after a slight[13] pause he read it. as she watched him she noticed with sudden apprehension the look of anger that darkened his face. she had forgotten the misunderstanding which had existed between the brothers since their coming to mossgiel to live, and suddenly her heart misgave her.
“gilbert lad,” she hesitatingly said as he finished the letter, “dinna say aught to robert when he comes hame about his rhyming, will ye, laddie?” she paused and looked anxiously into his sullen face. “he canna bear to be discouraged, ye ken,” and she took the letter from him and put it in her bosom. gilbert remained silent and moody, a heavy frown wrinkling his brow.
“perhaps all thoughts of poesy has left him since he has been among strangers,” continued the mother thoughtfully. “ye ken he has been doin’ right weel in irvine; and it’s only because the flax dresser’s shop has burned to the ground, and he canna work any more, that he decides to come hame to help us noo. ye ken that, gilbert.” she laid her hand in tender pleading on his sunburnt arm.
“he always shirked his work before,” replied gilbert bitterly, “and nae doot he will again. but he maun work, an’ work hard, if he wants to stay at mossgiel. nae more lyin’ around, scribblin’ on every piece of paper he finds, a lot of nonsense, which willna’ put food in his mouth, nor clothe his back.” mrs. burns sighed deeply and sank into the[14] low stool beside her spinning wheel, he hands folded for once idly in her lap, and gave herself up to her disquieting thoughts.
“ye can talk all ye like,” exclaimed souter, who was ever ready with his advice, “but robert is too smart a lad to stay here for lang. he was never cut out for a farmer nae mair was i.”
“a farmer,” repeated mrs. burns, with a mirthless little laugh. “an’ what is there in a farmer’s life to pay for all the hardships he endures?” she asked bitterly. “the constant grindin’ an’ endless toil crushes all the life out o’ one in the struggle for existence. remember your father, gilbert,” and her voice broke at the flood of bitter recollection which crowded her thoughts.
“i have na forgotten him, mither,” replied gilbert quietly. “nor am i likely to, for my ain lot in life is nae better.” and pulling his cap down over his eyes, he went back to the window and gazed moodily out over the bare, rocky, profitless farm which must be made to yield them a living. there was silence for a time, broken only by the regular monotonous ticking of the old clock. after a time mrs. burns quietly left the room.
“oh, laddie,” whispered souter as the door closed behind her, coming up beside gilbert, “did ye hear the news that tam o’shanter brought frae mauchline?”
“do you mean about robert an’ some lassie[15] there?” inquired gilbert indifferently, after a brief pause.
“aye!” returned souter impressively, “but she’s nae common lass, gilbert. she’s squire armour’s daughter jean, called the belle of mauchline.”
“i ken it’s no serious,” replied gilbert sarcastically, “for ye ken robert’s heart is like a tinder box, that flares up at the first whisper of passion,” and he turned away from the window and started for the door.
“i canna’ understand,” reflected souter, “how the lad could forget his sweetheart, highland mary, long enough to take up wi any ither lassie. they were mighty fond o’ each ither before he went awa’ a year ago. i can swear to that,” and he smiled reminiscently.
a look of despair swept over gilbert’s face at the idle words of the garrulous old man. he leaned heavily against the door, for there was a dull, aching pain at his heart of which he was physically conscious. for a few moments he stood there with white drawn face, trying hard to realize the bitter truth, that at last the day had come, as he had feared it must come, when he must step aside for the prodigal brother who would now claim his sweetheart. and she would go to him so gladly, he knew, without a single thought of his loneliness or his sorrow. but she was not to blame. it was only right that she should now be with her sweetheart, that he must say farewell to those[16] blissful walks along the banks of the doon which for almost a year he had enjoyed with mary by his side. his stern, tense lips relaxed, and a faint smile softened his rugged features. how happy he had been in his fool’s paradise. but he loved her so dearly that he had been content just to be with her, to listen to the sweetness of her voice as she prattled innocently and lovingly of her absent sweetheart. a snore from souter, who had fallen asleep in his chair, roused him from the fond reverie into which he had fallen, and brought him back to earth with a start. with a bitter smile he told himself he had no right to complain. if he had allowed himself to fall in love with his brother’s betrothed, he alone was to blame, and he must suffer the consequence. suddenly a wild thought entered his brain. suppose—and his heart almost stopped beating at the thought—suppose robert had grown to love someone else, while away, even better than he did mary? he had heard rumors of robert’s many amourous escapades in mauchline; then perhaps mary would again turn to him for comfort. his eyes shone with renewed hope and his heart was several degrees lighter as he left the house. going to the high knoll back of the cottage, he gazed eagerly, longingly, across the moor to where, in the hazy distance, the lofty turrets of castle montgomery, the home of the winsome dairymaid, mary campbell, reared their heads toward the blue heavens.
