DEAN RAMSAY REPRINTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 51, 1 March 1923, Page 5

DEAN RAMSAY REPRINTED.

SCOTTISH WIT AND HUMOUR. THE OLD DOMESTK . (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, January IS. Among the few treasured relics to "huh I have been able to cling during a life of travel, there remains a tattered coverlet)* copy of Dean Ramsay's stories of "Scottish Life and Character." It has been treasured through many?, year, because copies were hard to get. The many Scots i n New Zealand will rejoice to hear that that true representative of the Scottish literary capital, T. N. Foulis, is republishing these stories in a series of volumes. The first volume is called just "Wit and Humour,'' the second '"The Old Domestic." and the third is devoted to Scot'ish conviviality. Of the latter let. New Zealand prohibitionists listen to this, concerning a ruder age:— "Concerning a charge of drunkenness against a minister, one of 'he unwilling witnesses was a church official. "lie was asked: 'Did you ever =cc the minister the wor-e of drink:' 'I canna say I've seen him the waur o' drink, but nae doubt I've seen him the better o't,' was the evasive answer. The qucs'inji, however, was pushed further: and when he was urged to say if this state of being 'the better for drink' ever extended to a condition of absolute iielp-le-s intoxha'ion. the reply was: Indeed. afore that cam' I was blind fo_ mysel'. and I could see naething.'"

Of innumerable good stories of aged retainers of a now long extinct we quote: ''An old coachman Ion? in the service of a noble lady gave nil the trouble and annoyance, which he conceived, were the privileges of his position in the family. At la-t. the lady fairly gave him notice to quit, and told him he musl go. The only satisfaction she got was the quiet answer: N'a. na. my lady; I druve ye

o your marriage, and I shall stay to drive ye to your burial.' "

There are not wanting shrewd digs at our supposed Scottish characteristics. The following will serve to shyw the "At another mansion, notorious for scanty fare, a gentleman was inquiring of the trardencr about a dog which some time ago he had given to the laird. The gardener -bowed him a lank greyhound, on which the gentleman said: 'No, no; the dog I gave your master was a mastiff, not a greyhound,' which the gardener quietly answered: 'Indeed, onv dog rnichr sune become a. greyhound Iry 'topping here

"Most of these are of a vintage unknown now in an era. of Leacoeks. But to the exiled Scot whose recollection-, of his -tern and native land hark baclc a generation, they have a homely sound, and warm the heart as no later effusions of the comic muse do. There will Vie a _' r-rand welcome for the three wee books in New Zealand.