On the walls, I observed the following notice:
"The public are respectfully requested to pay in advance, so as to avoid mistakes."
"To avoid mistakes!" Thoroughly Scotch this little caution!
I had always seen porridge eaten before the other food. So seeing a worthy fellow ask that his porridge might be brought to him after his sausage and potato, I made bold to ask him the explanation of it.
"Do you take your porridge after your meat?" I enquired.
"Ay, mon," he replied, "it's to chock up the chinks."
Ask a Scotch rustic what he takes for breakfast, and he will answer proudly:
"Parritch, mon!"
And for dinner?