Me and the Doctor have likewise been in the Houses of Parliament, and the Doctor since has been again to heer the argol-bargoling aboot the queen.But, cepting the king's throne, which is all gold and velvet, with a croun on the top, and stars all round, there was nothing worth the looking at in them baith.Howsomever, I sat in the king's seat, and in the preses chair of the House of Commons, which, you no, is something for me to say; and we have been to see the printing of books, where the very smallest dividual syllib is taken up by itself and made into words by the hand, so as to be quite confounding how it could ever read sense.But there is ane piece of industry and froughgalaty I should not forget, whilk is wives going about with whirl-barrows, selling horses' flesh to the cats and dogs by weight, and the cats and dogs know them very well by their voices.In short, Miss Mally, there is nothing heer that the hand is not turnt to; and there is, I can see, a better order and method really among the Londoners than among our Scotch folks, notwithstanding their advantages of edicashion, but my pepper will hold no more at present, from your truefriend,
JANET PRINGLE.
There was a considerable diversity of opinion among the commentators on this epistle.Mrs.Craig was the first who broke silence, and displayed a great deal of erudition on the minch-collop-engine, and the potatoe-beetle, in which she was interrupted by the indignant Mrs.Glibbans, who exclaimed, "I am surprised to hear you, Mrs.Craig, speak of sic baubles, when the word of God's in danger of being controverted by an Act of Parliament.But, Mr.Snodgrass, dinna ye think that this painting of the queen's face is a Jezebitical testification against her?" Mr.Snodgrass replied, with an unwonted sobriety of manner, and with an emphasis that showed he intended to make some impression on his auditors--"It is impossible to judge correctly of strangers by measuring them according to our own notions of propriety.It has certainly long been a practice in courts to disfigure the beauty of the human countenance with paint; but what, in itself, may have been originally assumed for a mask or disguise, may, by usage, have grown into a very harmless custom.I am not, therefore, disposed to attach any criminal importance to the circumstance of her majesty wearing paint.Her late majesty did so herself." "I do not say it was criminal," said Mrs.Glibbans; "I only meant it was sinful, and I think it is." The accent of authority in which this was said, prevented Mr.Snodgrass from offering any reply; and, a brief pause ensuing, Miss Molly Glencairn observed, that it was a surprising thing how the Doctor and Mrs.Pringle managed their matters so well."Ay," said Mrs.Craig, "but we a' ken what a manager the mistress is--she's the bee that mak's the hincy--she does not gang bizzing aboot, like a thriftless wasp, through her neighbours' houses." "I tell you, Betty, my dear," cried Mr.Craig, "that you shouldna make comparisons--what's past is gane--and Mrs.Glibbans and you maun now be friends." "They're a' friends to me that's no faes, and am very glad to see Mrs.Glibbans sociable in my house; but she needna hae made sae light of me when she was here before." And, in saying this, the amiable hostess burst into a loud sob of sorrow, which induced Mr.Snodgrass to beg Mr.Micklewham to read the Doctor's letter, by which a happy stop was put to the furthermanifestation of the grudge which Mrs.Craig harboured against Mrs.Glibbans for the lecture she had received, on what the latter called "the incarnated effect of a more than Potipharian claught o' the godly Mr.Craig."
