The book Arran; - Cook Clan

310 THE BOOK OF ARRAN
had ever so many of the company taken in to their, his or her, pre-
sence as would-be suitors. Some one, generally a wit of some sort
—the ' blackfoot '—was chosen to present the suitors, and if it was
the lad who was waiting he would bring in the lasses and married
wives too—it didn't matter. The introducer would say something
like, ' Here 's a nice young lass now, will you take her for your wife ? '
' No,' the lad would say, ' I '11 not have her, because ' then he
gave his reason ; she was too fat or too lean, too tall or too short,
she had a squint, etc., etc., or any fault he could think of. The fun
was carried on with great good humour and the best of spirits ; roars
of laughter greeting the quaint remarks of the one chosen to do the
introducing, or the awkward excuses which the hard plied and embarrassed
youth would sometimes give as a reason why he would not
marry each one till the real one was taken before him. This one,
he would say, had all the good looks he would like to see his wife
possessed of, and so he would marry her. The same was gone through
then with regard to the girl, and of course the greatest scope was
given for the exercise of the humour of the introducer, who with less
feeling or less fear of hurting the feelings of the lads, ran over all
their recommendations, mostly invented for the occasion. Each
would be refused in turn till the right lad was brought in at last.
First Footing.—A fair man was not welcome as a ' first foot ' on
the morning of the New Year, neither was a flat-footed man.
Baptism.—When a child was born the mother was never waiited
in any house until her child had been baptized, as her entry meant
very bad luck for the house so entered.
Regarding people who walked in their sleep, it was said that they
had not had sufficient water applied at baptism ; and for a cure the
water which was left after the christening of an infant was dashed in
the face of the somnambulist.
Courtship.—When a young man took an unre turned fancy to
a young woman, and his aberration caused him to neglect his daily
tasks, the chemise of the young woman was procured, generally by
a parent, and put upon him, by way of curing him. (An instance of
this being done about ninety years ago is reported.)