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XXV.

And age is a time of peace, so it be free from pain,
And happy has been my life; but I would not live it again.
I seem to be tired a little, that's all, and long for rest;
Only at your age, Annie, I could have wept with the best.

XXVI.

So Willy has gone, my beauty, my eldest-born, my flower;
But how can I weep for Willy, he has but gone for an hour,—
Gone for a minute, my son, from this room into the next;
I, too, shall go in a minute. What time have I to be vext?

XXVII.

And Willy's wife has written, she never was over-wise.

Get me my glasses, Annie: thank God that I keep my eyes.
There is but a trifle left you, when I shall have past away.
But stay with the old woman now: you cannot have long to stay.

NORTHERN FARMER.

OLD STYLE.

I.

WHEER 'asta beän saw long and meä liggin' 'ere aloän?

Noorse? thoort nowt o' a noorse: whoy, Doctor's abeän an' agoän Says that I moänt 'a naw moor aäle: but I beänt a fool:

Git ma my aäle, fur I beänt a-gooin' to break my rule.

II.

Doctors, they knaws nowt, fur a says what's nawways true:
Naw soort o' koind o' use to saäy the things that a do.
I've 'ed my point o' aäle ivry noight sin' I beän 'ere,
An' I've 'ed my quart ivry market-noight for foorty year.

III.

Parson's a beän loikewoise, an' a sittin' 'ere o' my bed.

'The amoighty's a taäkin o' you to 'issén, my friend,' a said,

An' a towd ma my sins, an's toithe were due, an' I gied it in hond

I done moy duty boy 'um, as I 'a done boy the lond.

IV.

Larn'd a ma' beä. I reckons I 'annot sa mooch to larn.

But a cast oop, thot a did, 'boot Bessy Marris's barne.

Thaw a knaws I hallus voäted wi' Squoire an' choorch an' staäte, An' i' the woost o' toimes I wur niver agin the raäte.

V.

An' I hallus coom'd to 's choorch afoor moy Sally wur dead,

An' 'eerd 'um a bummin' awaäy loike a buzzard-clock 1ower my 'eäd, An' I niver knaw'd whot a meän'd but I thowt a 'ad summut to saäy, An' I thowt a said whot a owt to 'a said an' I coom'd awaäy.

VI.

Bessy Marris's barne! tha knaws she laäid it to meä.

Mowt a beän, mayhap, for she wur a bad un, sheä.

'Siver, I kep 'um, I kep 'um, my lass, tha mun understond; I done moy duty boy 'um as I 'a done boy the lond.

VII.

But Parson a comes an' a goos, an' a says it easy an' freeä
'The amoighty's a taäkin o' you to 'issén, my friend,' says 'eä.

I weänt saäy men be loiars, thaw summun said it in 'aäste :

But 'e reads wonn sarmin a weeäk, an' I 'a stubb'd Thurnaby waäste.

VIII.

D'ya moind the waäste, my lass? naw, naw, tha was not born then; Theer wur a boggle in it, I often 'eerd 'um mysen;

Moäst loike a butter-bump, fur I 'eerd 'um aboot an' aboot,

But I stubb'd 'um oop wi' the lot, an' raäved an' rembled 'um oot.

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XIII.

A mowt 'a taäen owd Joänes, as 'ant nor a 'aäpoth o' sense,
Or a mowt 'a taäen young Robins-a niver mended a fence :
But godamoighty a moost taäke meä an' taäke ma now
Wi' aäf the cows to cauve an' Thurnaby hoälms to plow!

XIV.

Loook 'ow quoloty smoiles when they seeäs ma a passin' boy,

Says to thessen naw doubt 'what a man a beä sewer-loy!'

Fur they knaws what I bean to Squoire sin fust a coom'd to the 'All;

I done moy duty by Squoire an' I done moy duty boy hall.

XV.

Squoire's i' Lunnon, an' summun I reckons 'ull 'a to wroite,
For whoa's to howd the lond ater mea thot muddles ma quoit;
Sartin-sewer I beä, thot a weänt niver give it to Joänes,
Naw, nor a moänt to Robins-a niver rembles the stoäns.

XVI.

But summun 'ull come ater meä mayhap wi' 'is kittle o' steäm
Huzzin' an' maäzin' the blessed feälds wi' the Divil's oän team.
Sin' I mun doy I mun doy, thaw loife they says is sweet,
But sin' I mun doy I mun doy, for I couldn abear to see it.

XVII.

What atta stannin' theer fur, an' doesn bring ma the aäle?
Doctor's a 'toättler, lass, an a's hallus i' the owd taäle;

I weänt break rules fur Doctor, a knaws naw moor nor a floy;
Git ma my aäle I tell tha, an' if I mun doy I mun doy.

NORTHERN FARMER.

NEW STYLE.

I.

DOSN'T thou 'ear my 'erse's legs, as they canters awaäy?

Proputty, proputty, proputty-that's what I 'ears 'em saäy.
Proputty, proputty, proputty—Sam, thou's an ass for thy paaïns :
Theer's moor sense i' one o' 'is legs nor in all thy braaïns.

II.

Woä-theer's a craw to pluck wi' tha, Sam: yon's parson's 'ouse--
Dosn't thou knaw that a man mun be eäther a man or a mouse?
Time to think on it then; for thou'll be twenty to weeäk.1
Proputty, proputty-woä then woä-let ma 'ear mysén speak.

This week.

III.

Me an' thy muther, Sammy, 'as beän a-talkin' o' thee;
Thou's been talkin' to muther, an' she bean a tellin' it me.

Thou'll not marry for munny-thou's sweet upo' parson's lass-
Noa-thou'll marry for luvv-an' we boäth on us thinks tha an ass.

IV.

Seeä'd her todaäy goä by-Saäint's-daäy-they was ringing the bells.
She's a beauty thou thinks-an' soä is scoors o' gells,

Them as 'as munny an' all-wot's a beauty?—the flower as blaws.
But proputty, proputty sticks, an' proputty, proputty graws.

V.

Do'ant be stunt : taäke time: I knaws what maäkes tha sa mad.
Warn't I craäzed fur the lasses mysén when I wur a lad?
But I knaw'd a Quaäker feller as often 'as towd ma this :
'Doänt thou marry for munny, but goä wheer munny is !'

VI.

An' I went wheer munny war: an' thy muther coom to 'ard,
Wi' lots o' munny laaïd by, an' a nicetish bit o' land.

Maäybe she warn't a beauty :-I niver giv it a thowt

But warn't she as good to cuddle an' kiss as a lass as 'ant nowt?

VII.

Parson's lass 'ant nowt, an' she weänt 'a nowt when 'e's dead,
Mun be a guvness, lad, or summut, and addle 2 her bread :
Why? fur 'e's nobbut a curate, an' weänt nivir git naw 'igher;
An' 'e maade the bed as 'e ligs on afoor 'e coom'd to the shire.

VIII.

An thin 'e coom'd to the parish wi' lots o' Varsity debt,

Stook to his taaïl they did, an' 'e 'ant got shut on 'em yet.

An' 'e ligs on 'is back i' the grip, wi' noän to lend 'im a shove,
Woorse nor a far-welter'd3 yowe: fur, Sammy, 'e married fur luvv.

IX.

Luvv ? what's luvv? thou can luvv thy lass an' 'er munny too,

Maakin' 'em goä togither as they've good right to do.

Could'n I luvv thy muther by cause o' 'er munny laaïd by?

Naäy-fur I luvv'd 'er a vast sight moor fur it: reason why.

X.

Ay an' thy muther says thou wants to marry the lass,

Cooms of a gentleman burn: an' we boäth on us thinks tha an ass.

Woä then, proputty, wiltha?-an ass as near as mays nowt

Woä then, wiltha? dangtha !-the bees is as fell as owt."

Obstinate.

* Earn.
• Makes nothing.

Or fow-welter'd,- said of a sheep lying on its back in the furrow.
The flies are as fierce as anything.

XI.

Break me a bit o' the esh for his 'eäd, lad, out o' the fence !
Gentleman burn! what's gentleman burn? is it shillins an' pence?
Proputty, proputty's ivrything 'ere, an', Sammy, I'm blest

If it isn't the saäme oop yonder, fur them as 'as it's the best.

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