Poems and Songs :: :: University of Virginia Library

What, Matty, lass, it's never thee!
Come in, an' keawer tho down;
Thou'rt just i' time to get thi tay;
Our Jamie's off i'th town.
Eh, dear, I'm fain to see tho here;
I wanted tho to come;
So, doff thi things, an' tak this cheer,
An' make thisel' a-whoam.

II

Eh, if our Jamie had bin in,
He would ha' bin some fain;
He'd nearly jump out of his skin
To see thee here again!

182

An' th' childer too, they would ha' crowed,—
They're gradely fond o' thee;
But I al'ays think thou'rt like one's own,—
An' Jamie's same as me.

III

How am I? Why, I'm th' best side out,
An' th' childer are o' reet:
It would make thee stare at meal-times
What they putten out o' seet.
Eh, lass, they are a hungry lot;
An' they're hearty, an' they're rough:
Thank God, we're never short o' meight,
So I let 'em have enough.

IV

These childer! Bless thi life, owd lass—
Our Jem an' me's had six,—
They keepen one alive, bi th' mass,
Wi' their bits o' mankin tricks.
There's three at schoo', an' two i'th town;
An this is little Jem;
He's just th' spit of our Jamie,—
An' he's christent after him.

183

V

Eh, dear, those two blue e'en of his,
Like bits o' April sky!
I sometimes look into his face
Till it nearly makes me cry.
Come here, thou little curly lout,—
Thou rosy, rompin' limb!
His faither were a roughish cowt,—
An' he'll be th' same as him.

VI

It's not to tell what folk con ston',—
But we're a hardish breed;
Our physic's made i'th porritch-pon—
It's o' we ever need.
An' how it comes I connot tell—
Thou'll think it quare I know,—
But if ever I'm not weel mysel'
Our Jamie's ill an' o'.

VII

Now then, poo up, an' buckle to,
An' try these bits o' chops;
It puzzles me how folk can do
To live o' nought but slops.

184

It's reet enough to weet one's lips,
But to tell yo truth, owd dame,
I'm raither fond o' butchers' chips,—
An' Jamie's just the same.

VIII

Eh dear o' me; I'm fain I'm wick!
An' it's o' long o' Jem;
He sometimes says, “Owd lass, we're thick!”
For he sees I'm fond of him.
An' yet, thou knows, life's flittin' by;
But when I come to dee,
It doesn't matter where I lie,
Our Jamie'll lie wi' me!