MRS M‘KAIL ON "HY-JEANIE.”

Southern Cross, Volume 13, Issue 13, 24 June 1905, Page 7

MRS M‘KAIL ON "HY-JEANIE.”

One morning Sandy McKail, on going to the back garden, discovered his better half standing on the footpath with mouth wide open, arms moving in a kind of balf-circle, wildly gesticulating with all the frantic gesture of an escaped lunatic, Standing appalled, Sandy roared, ‘ Marget, wumrain ! In a* the world whit’s gone wtang ! Are ye no weel ?’ 1 Och ! gang awa in, ye auld blether. I’m weel enough, it’s jist hy-jeanie exercises I’m daein.’ ‘ Jeanie, what did ye say ? I’m fleg’t ye’ve gane gyte !’ 4 Nae fear, it’s a’ in a new book Mrs McLeevie’s wee dochter-in-law lent me.’ ‘ Whit’s it a’ aboot.’ 1 Abou ye’s health. Imphm ! nae mair pills for me ; I’m for hy-jaanie.’ ‘ But whitna thing’s hy-jeanie P If thon’s it ye wir busy at, it’s gay fearsome.’, ‘ Is’t really ? Jist fancy ! Na, na, Sandy ; it’s this : Instead o’ medicine, ye tak’ larg breaths, ca’ down the pure air intil ye’r inside, an’ then work ye’r airms an’ a’ ye’r ither muscles, an’ pit ye’r will intil’t an’ that mak’s ya quite weel !’ ‘ Faith, dis it really ?’ ‘ Aye, dis it; it’s a scienteefic thing, an’- ’ ‘Are ye takin’ it fer ye’r rheumatics ?’ 4 ’Deed am I. We maun keep wi’ the times, Sandy. Peals an’ physics a’ gaun oot o’ date, Mistress McLeevie’s dochter-in-law wis tailin’ me.’ 4 I’d rather tak’ peels.’ Aye, I ken that. Ye’d raither dae onything jist tae be thrawn, sae ye wad.’ 4 I’m thinking if ya wis tae be mair carefn’ whit ye eat an’ drink, that’d dan ye mair guid than a’ the hi ! Whit was the lassie’s name ?’ 4 It’s no ony lassie’s name—hijeanie is onything that’s guid for ye.’ 4 Imphm ! It sounds fine. I suppose ye wad ca’ 4 Cock o’ the North ’ tea ‘ Hi-jeanic tea ?’ 4 ’Deed wud I. Gin everything a body eats an’ drinks wis as wholesome, we wadna need tae bother wi’ onything o’ medicine.’ * Aw, Margit; leave ye’r new fangl’t notions tae the lassies, an’ dinna ncak a fule o’ yersel’ eifter thirty years o’ maireet life. Awa’ aa’ mak’ a cup o’ the best tea in New Zealand. Hi-jeanie may be a’’ verra weel, but gie me McKenzie’s UoadaiLanka Tea.’ 4 Aye, Sandy, an’ Cock o’ the North at that!’ 4 Jist so ! ’Deed, but weemun’s kittle cattle. Aye, but Marget kens guid tea, an’ ye canna beat McKenzie’s. It’s 6 Hy-jienic.’