The Days of Auld Lang Syne Author:Clifton Johnson, Ian Maclaren, Alice Cordelia Morse Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: I THE COUNTRY TYRANT No man was better liked or more respected than Burnbrae, but the parish was not able to take more than a languid interest in the renew... more »al of his lease, because it was understood that he would get it on his own terms. Drumsheugh indeed stated the situation admirably one Sabbath in the kirkyard. " Whatever is a fair rent atween man an' man Burnbrae 'ill offer, and what he canna gie is no worth hevin' frae anither man. " As for buildings, he 'ill juist tell the factor onything that's needfu', an' his lordship 'ill be content. " Noo, here 's Hillocks ; he 'd argle-bargle wi' the factor for a summer, an' a 'm no blamin' him, for it's a fine ploy an' rael interestin' tae the pairish, but it's doonricht wark wi' Burn- brae. " A 've kent him since he wes a laddie, and a tell ye there's nae dukery-packery (trickery) aboot Burnbrae ; he 's a straicht man an' a gude neebur. He 'ill be settlin' wi' the new factor this week, a' wes hearin'." Next Sabbath the kirkyard was thrown into a state approaching excitement by Jamie Soutar, who, in the course-of some remarks on the prospects of harvest, casually mentioned that Burnbrae had been refused his lease, and would be leaving Drumtochty at Martinmas. "What for?" said Drumsheugh sharply; while Hillocks, who had been offering his box to Whinnie, remained with outstretched arm. " Naethin' that ye wud expeck, but juist some bit differ wi' the new factor aboot leavin' his kirk an' jining the lave o' us in the Auld Kirk. Noo, if it hed been ower a cattle reed ye cud hae understude it, but for a man " " Nae mair o' yir havers, Jamie," broke in Drumsheugh, "and keep yir tongue aff Burnbrae ; man, ye gied me a fricht." " Weel, weel, ye dinna believe me, but it wes the gude wife hersel' that said it t...« less