just a sight to be seen with its head back on its shoulders. The
bairns of the clachan followed it up and down, crying, the lady's
muckle jock's aye growing bigger, till every heart was wae for the
creature. Some thought it was afflicted with a tympathy, and
others, that it was the natural way for such-like ducks to cleck
their young. In short, we were all concerned; and my lady, having a
great opinion of Miss Sabrina's skill, had a consultation with her
on the case, at which Miss Sabrina advised, that what she called the
Caesarean operation should be tried, which she herself performed
accordingly, by opening the creature's crap, and taking out as many
beans as filled a mutchkin stoup, after which she sewed it up, and
the Muscovy went its way to the water-side, and began to swim, and
was as jocund as ever; insomuch, that in three days after it was
quite cured of all the consequences of its surfeit.

I had at one time a notion to send an account of this to the Scots
Magazine, but something always came in the way to prevent me; so
that it has been reserved for a place in this chronicle, being,
after Mr Heckletext's affair, the most memorable thing in our
history of this year.



CHAPTER XIV YEAR 1773



In this Ann. Dom. there was something like a plea getting to a head,
between the session and some of the heritors, about a new school-
house; the thatch having been torn from the rigging of the old one