Peace and plenty; and no killing;
Beef at a groat, and meat at a shilling.
Whisky for nothing, beer at the same.
A bonnie wee wife; and a cosy wee hame.
In the Mearns and Aberdeenshire, among the many superstitious ceremonies that were performed by the younger people of both sexes, that of the "sooty-scone" holds a distinguished place. It was the usual custom to make "skair" scones, which are composed of milk, meal, or flour, and eggs beaten up and sweetened with sugar, mixed to a thin consistency. When a sufficient quantity of skair-scones was prepared, the remainder of the mixture was made into a large thick scone, into which a quantity of soot was put together with a wedding ring, and in this last scone lay all the magic.
The person who prepared the sooty-scone had to keep a strict silence while it was baking, for if she spoke all it's virtues were lost; and when it was done it was divided into as many portions as there were unmarried guests, each of whom, blind-folded, drew a piece.
The person who drew the piece containing the ring was then assured of being the first married of the company; and to know who their "intended" would be, the piece of cake was dreamt upon after it was placed under the pillow in the left foot stocking. Whatever person was dreamt of, he or she was viewed as the future husband or wife of the dreamer. This power of looking into the future, however, was not confined to the person who obtained the ring, but, by the mystical virtues of the sooty-scone and to all who partook of it. The ring only conferred the privilige of being the first married.
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