THE 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 paains;

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.*

Proputty, proputty

woä then woä let ma 'ear

mysén speäk.

III.

Me an' thy muther, Sammy, 'as beän a-talkin' o' thee;

Thou 's been talkin' to muther, an' she beän a tellin' it

me.

Thou'll not marry for munny-thou 's sweet upo' parson's lass

Noä

thou'll marry fur luvv an' we boäth on us thinks tha an ass.

IV.

Seeä'd her todaäy goä by-Saäint's-daäy thay 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.

*This week.

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 mother coom to

'and,

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

deäd,

Mun be a guvness, lad, or summut, and addle † her bread :

* Obstinate.

† Earn.

Why? fur 'e 's nobbut a curate, an' weänt nivir git naw

'igher;

An' 'e maäde the bed as 'e ligs on afoor 'e coom'd to

the shire.

VIII.

And 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'd* yowe: fur, Sammy, 'e mar

ried 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: reäson

why.

* Or fow-welter'd — said of a sheep lying on its back in the furrów.