IN DIALECT. A TALE O' BRAEHEID.

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 86

IN DIALECT. A TALE O' BRAEHEID.

By Geordie Tamsox.

"I wis juist thinkin'," said grandpa, as he tapped liis snuff box— "l % wis juist tliinkia' o' Brael'.eid again. It was Sunday night, and tfos chiurch bells were ringing. We were a d'acent kirk-gaun. folk in th.' Brae. Gin ony noo folk cam' toe bide at Braelieid — which wisna very often— t'hero wad be a, gey 'ot o' speculation as tae whit kirk they wad jine. We had th' U.P.s, th' Frore, an* th' Auld Kirk. We belang't taa th 1 U.P.'s. Th' Rsverint Maisteir Campbell wis oor minister, an' a fine stamp o' man he wis. Oor kirk stuid at th cross roade. It wis ane o' th' auldfashionerl kind, wi' strecht-backit sates. We had mane o' yer easT-chaii'-cooshin sates or flu stules in oor kirk. Th' pulpit wis at ac end o' ill' kirk, aa' th' gallery ■wis at th.' it'lier end. In front w-is a place for th' ch-oir. We didna ha'e a choir tho\ Wattie Seobie, th,' cpbbkr, used toe ring th' bell. Th' bell wis in a wee toorio affair at a« end o' th' kii-k. A lang ropa hung doon owre th' gable, an' wis tetiiared tae an auld rusty nail. Wattie wad wait till tk' folks gethered, an' syne he wad tak* th' rope off th' nail an' merch, wi' a slow, reverimt step, oot as far as th' rope wad lat him. Us laddies used tae get-tiler room an' watch. He gaed th' rope a short tug, an,' th' bell wad ring cot three sherp rings. We used! tae sac it rang, ' Come awa' in; come awa' in.' We had a - gi-eat respeck for Wattle. Some o' us even had thochts o' bedn' his successor. Wattie was a gey handy man abr«ot th' Brae. He wis ama o' thae buddies wha kin dae inaist a' thing. Gin ye wantit a pair o' buits mendit, or a him soopit, or a soo killed, ye gaed tae Wattie. Gin there wis a funeral, a waddin', or a ehrist'nin', Wattie wis sbalr tae be inveetit. An' he ays gaed. He coocl sing a bit tae, Wattie cood. He kent th' Psalm tunes better than th 1 dominie, an' ye wad hear Watties voice abune a' ither buddie-. Th % diominie wis oor precentor, bit whiles ha wad lat Wattle try his han'. Wattie didna ring th' bell th' day he was precentor. He got ane o' th' elders tae ring it. He wad wait till tth' bell startdt. Syne he wad niierch slowly doon tji' kirk, his lum hat in his han', an' his big ridedged Bible an' his Psalm book a'blow his oxter. Fra.e oor sate in th' gallery ■vre used tae -watch. Watties progress. We wad keek owre th' gallery an' watch for him. We cood hear has obeepin' buits afore he cam' in sicht. Wattie had th,' loodest c'heepin.' buits in th' Brae. Aince he got tae tit* p-reoefnlor's bos he wad pit- his hat down juist ootside. Then he Avad arrainge his books in front o' him. Syne he wad look slowly room' th' kirk afore he wad spread oot his swalli© tail coat an' settle doon. By-and-bye th' minister wad coma in, an 7 th' service wad commence. Th' Psalm wad be gi'en oot, an' Wattie wad bring oot his tumin' fork. He wad hit it across his knee, syme stan' it up on tlx'_book board in front o' him. Ye c-ood bear th' soon' rioht throo th' kirk. Syne he wad hum tit' ' dob. ray, me ' till he* got til' riclit key. Whiles he didna get it 1 ill he had slappit tin' fork owre his kn.ee twa-thre* times. When h& did get it he wad stan' up. We waited for Wattie tae rise. Syne wa rose tae. He wad stairt th' tune', an' we wad a' jine in. Wattie wadi wave his Psalm, book up an' doon, an' wag his held an' shuitbera back an' forrit tae beat time. Whiles he wad stairt on owre high a key, an' hae tae sfcairt a.' owre again. I mm' aince Wattio got haud o' a noo rune. They ca'ed 't ' Tiverton.' We hadna inei'd it in. th' Brae afoiv. Whin th' Ppalm wis gi'en oot Wattie stairtit on 'Tiverton.' Naebuddie kent th' tune. We a' stuid an' listen'd tae Wattie. He didina seem tae notice he had it a.' tae himself' — he wis sac ta'sn uj> wi' th' singin'. Efter th 1 second verse ane or twa stairtit tae bjuin th' tune, bit had tae gi'e it up. Wattie oa'ed awa' by hirnsel'. At last he feenished an ? sat slowly doon, an' laid his book jibid'e wi' a, naaist reverent air. He lookit as tho' he liad juist cam' doon frae ha'ejn' a crack wi' Gabriel. Syne th' minister gob up. He took oot his hankie an' rttbbit Ms specs. Syne he pit them on^ an'i lookiu' Qwxe th.' ed.<re o' tie puljjiti

be said : 'Ye did rale w«el, Wattic ; raia "weel, man ; bit ye micht sing it owre again tae a tune we a' ken.' Wattio seemed tae stairt as tlio' he had ha.en a buckifc o' cauld waiter thrown owre him. Hooivir, he got ont liis timin' fork again, an' ' doh-ray-me's ' for a wee, an' syne go-u up. He gaed us 'Martyrdom.' A'buddie kent it. It wis oor favourite ture. An* th' sin^in* garred th' rafters ring."

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