From a Sir Walter Scott short story:
"“It is very true,” said the blind man, “that when I am tired of
scraping thairm or singing ballants I whiles make a tale serve the
turn among the country bodies; and I have some fearsome anes,
that make the auld carlines shake on the settle, and the bits o’
bairns skirl on their minnies out frae their beds. But this that I
am going to tell you was a thing that befell in our ain house in
my father’s time—that is, my father was then a hafflins callant;
and I tell it to you, that it may be a lesson to you that are but a
young thoughtless chap, wha ye draw up wi’ on a lonely road;
for muckle was the dool and care that came o’ ’t to my
gudesire.”"

Wjat is a "hafflins callant"?