Shopman—“Ou, ay, a’ a’e oo” (oh, yes, all one wool).
A dialogue in vowel sounds—surely a thing unique in literature!
In his Scotch version of the Psalms—“frae Hebrew intil Scottis”—the late Rev. Dr. Hately Waddell, of Glasgow, gives many striking illustrations of the force and beauty of idiomatic Scotch. His language partakes rather much of the antique form to be readily perceptible to the present generation, but its purity is unquestionable, and its beauty and power inexpressible in other words than his own. Let us quote the familiar 23rd Psalm.
“The Lord is my herd; na want sal fa’ me.
“He louts me till lie amang green howes; He airts me atowre by the lown waters.
“He waukens my wa’gaen saul; He weises me roun for His ain name’s sake, intil richt roddins.
“Na! tho’ I gang thro’ the dead-mirk dail; e’en thar sal I dread nae skaithin; for Yersel’ are nar-by me; Yer stok an’ Yer stay haud me baith fu’ cheerie.
“My buird Ye ha’e hansell’d in face o’ my faes; Ye ha’e drookit my head wi’ oyle; my bicker is fu’ an’ skailin’.
“E’en sae sal gude guidin’ an’ gude gree gang wi’ me ilk day o’ my livin’; an’ ever mair syne i’ the Lord’s ain howff, at lang last, sal I mak bydan.”