THIS excellent general business maxim was exemplified in the person of Neil M’Liver, merchant—no matter about the locality,—Highland folks take things so readily to themselves. Neil required to come to Glasgow for goods to supply customers for the winter; and the master of the steamer, going to and from there, calculated on him and a few friends of his as passengers. They lay under obligations to him for sundry services, rendered to them in those days of high postage, in the shape of frauds on the Post-office, of the kind that enabled Master Hill to make out his case for the Postage Reduction Bill. His obligants, however, took no berth with him, either in steerage or cabin.

Meeting the parties in Glasgow, he expressed his astonishment that they had not come with him. To which Neil, hesitating, and scarcely knowing how to excuse himself, replied:

"You see, it was—you see—yes—that captain—yes, I’ll thocht now—it was more money you’ll took for our passage, nor we’ll got down for with another friend of Duncan’s there, who has a poat of her nown—too—yes, more nor two shillings for each of us both—that is Duncan and me."

"Man," quoth the master of paddles, "I’d have given you your passage for nothing rather than have an old friend to go by an opponent! You should have come with me."