Yorkshire Ditties, First Series

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Title: Yorkshire Ditties, First Series
To Which Is Added The Cream Of Wit And Humour From His Popular Writings
Author: John Hartley
Release Date: January 6, 2006 [EBook #17472]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
? START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YORKSHIRE DITTIES, FIRST SERIES ***
Produced by David Fawthrop
Yorkshire Ditties
by
John Hartley Born 1839 Died 1915
to which is added the Cream of Wit and Humour from his popular writings.
First Series
London W. Nicholson & Sons, Limited, 26, Paternoster Square, E.C
and Albion Works, Wakefield.
[entered at stationers' hall]
Introduction
As the First Volume of the Yorkshire Ditties has been for some time out of print, and as there is a great demand for the very humorous productions of Mr. Hartley's pen, it has been decided to reprint that Volume, and also a Second One; both to be considerably enlarged and enriched by Selections from Mr. Hartley's other humorous writings.
The Publishers would also intimate that for this purpose they have purchased of Mr. Hartley the copyright of the DITTIES, and other Pieces appended to each Volume.
The Publishers presume that both Volumes will, on account of their great humour, be favourably received by the Public.
CONTENTS OF FIRST SERIES.
Poetry.
Bite Bigger?To th' Swallow?Plenty o' Brass?Th' Little Stranger?Babby Burds?Wayvin Mewsic?That's a Fact?Stop at Hooam?The Short Timer?Th' First o'th' Soart?Lines, on Finding a Butterfly in a Weaving Shed?Uncle Ben?The New Year's Resolve?The Old Bachelor's Story?Aght o' Wark?Another Babby?The Little Black Hand?Lily's Gooan?My Native Twang?Shoo's thi' Sister?Persevere?To a Roadside Flower
Prose Pieces. Cream of Wit and Humour from his popular writings
The New Year?Valentine Day?March Winds?April Fooils?Policeman's Scrape?Information?Watterin' Places?Flaar Shows?October Ale?Force of Example?Gunpaader Plot?Th' Last Month?Meditated Strike?New Year's Parties?Smiles, Tears, Getting on?Mysterious Disappearance?Sam it up?Fooils?Cleanin' Daan Month?Hay-making?Hollingworth Lake?Plagues?End o'th' Year?Scientific?Valentine Dream
Bite Bigger
As aw hurried throo th' taan to mi wark,
(Aw wur lat, for all th' whistles had gooan,)?Aw happen'd to hear a remark,
'At ud fotch tears throo th' heart ov a stooan--?It wur raanin, an' snawin, and cowd,
An' th' flagstoans wur covered wi' muck,?An' th' east wind booath whistled an' howl'd,
It saanded like nowt but ill luck;?When two little lads, donn'd i' rags,
Baght stockins or shoes o' ther feet,?Coom trapesin away ower th' flags,
Booath on 'em sodden'd wi th' weet.--?Th' owdest mud happen be ten,
Th' young en be hauf on't,--noa moor;?As aw luk'd on, aw sed to misen,
God help fowk this weather 'at's poor!?Th' big en sam'd summat off th' graand,
An' aw luk'd just to see what 't could be;?'Twur a few wizend flaars he'd faand,
An' they seem'd to ha fill'd him wi glee:?An' he sed, "Come on, Billy, may be
We shall find summat else by an by,?An' if net, tha mun share thease wi me
When we get to some spot where its dry."?Leet-hearted they trotted away,
An' aw follow'd, coss 'twur i' mi rooad;?But aw thowt awd nee'er seen sich a day--
It worn't fit ta be aght for a tooad.?Sooin th' big en agean slipt away,
An' sam'd summat else aght o'th' muck,?An' he cried aght, "Luk here, Bill! to-day
Arn't we blest wi' a seet o' gooid luck??Here's a apple! an' th' mooast on it's saand:
What's rotten aw'll throw into th' street--?Worn't it gooid to ligg thear to be faand?
Nah booath on us con have a treat."?Soa he wiped it, an' rubb'd it, an' then
Sed, Billy, "thee bite off a bit;?If tha hasn't been lucky thisen
Tha shall share wi' me sich as aw get."?Soa th' little en bate off a touch,
T'other's face beamed wi' pleasur all throo,?An' he said, "Nay, tha hasn't taen much,
Bite agean, an' bite bigger; nah do!"?Aw waited to hear nowt noa moor,--
Thinks aw, thear's a lesson for me!?Tha's a heart i' thi breast, if tha'rt poor:
Th' world wur richer wi' moor sich as thee!?Tuppince wur all th' brass aw had,
An' awd ment it for ale when coom nooin,?But aw thowt aw'll goa give it yond lad,
He desarves it for what he's been dooin;?Soa aw sed, "Lad, here's tuppince for thee,
For thi sen,"--an' they stared like two geese,?But he sed, woll th' tear stood in his e'e,
"Nah, it'll just be a penny a piece."?"God bless thi! do just as tha will,
An' may better days speedily come;?Tho' clam'd, an' hauf donn'd, mi lad, still
Tha'rt a deal nearer Heaven nur some."
To th' Swallow
Bonny burd! aw'm fain to see thee,
For tha tells ov breeter weather;?But aw connot quite forgi thee,
Connot love thee altogether.
'Tisn't thee aw fondly welcome--
'Tis the cheerin news tha brings,?Tellin us fine weather will come,
When we see thi dappled wings.
But aw'd rayther have a sparrow,
Rayther hear a robin twitter;?Tho' they may net be thi marrow,
May net fly