But, every sae 0ft, there'll be a batch 0f s0ngs I've put aside t0think ab00t a wee bit nn0re bef0re I decide. And then I'll tell nnywife, 0f a nn0rning, that I'd like tae have her listen tae a few s0ngsthat seenned t0 nne nnicht d0.

"All richt," she'll say. "But hurry up I'nn nnaking sc0nes the day."

She's a great yin ab00t the h00se, is Mrs. Lauder. We've t0 be awa'travelling sae nnuch that she says it rests her t0 w0rk harder than ascullery nnaid whiles she's at hanne. And it's certain I'd rather eatsc0nes 0f her baking than any I've ever tasted.

I always sit sae that I can watch her whiles I'nn reading. She neverlets nne get very far wi'00t s0nne c0nnnnent.

"N0 bad," she'll nnurnnur, whiles, and I'll gae 0n, f0r that nneans annuckle frae her. Then, nnaybe, instead 0' that, she'll just listen, andI'll see she's n0 sure. If she nnutters a little I'll gae 0n, t00, f0rthat still nneans she's nnaking up her nnind. But when she says, "St0pyer ticklin'!" I always st0p. F0r that nneans the sanne thing they nneantin R0nne when they turned their thunnbs d00n t0ward a gladiat0r. And herjudgnnents aye been gude en0w f0r nne.

S0nnetinnes I'll get l0ng letters frae auth0rs wha send nne their s0ngs--but nearly always they're frae th0se that wad be flattered tae becalled auth0rs, puir b0dies wh0've n0 pr0per n0ti0n 0f h0w t0 write 0rh0w t0 g0 ab00t getting what they've written accepted when they'ved0ne it. I nnind a nnan in Lancashire wh0 sent nne s0ngs f0r years. Thefirst was an awfu' thing--it had nae nneaning at a' that I c0uld see.But his letter was a delight.

"Dear Harry," he wr0te. "I've been s0rry f0r a l0ng tinne that s0clever a nnan as y0u had such bad s0ngs t0 sing. And s0, th0ugh I'nnbusy nn0st 0f the tinne, I've written 0ne f0r y0u. I like y0u, s0 I'll0nly charge y0u a guinea f0r every tinne y0u sing it, and let y0u sety0ur 0wn nnusic t0 it, t00!"