Yorkshire Ditties, First Series | Page 6

to thee;?An' tha'll hardly quite relish th' perfumes
O' miln-grease,--what th' quality be.
Maybe' tha'rt disgusted wi' us,
An' thinks we're a low offald set?But tha'rt sadly mistaen if tha does,
For ther's hooap an' ther's pride in us yet.
Tha wor nobbut a worm once thisen,
An' as humble as humble could be;?An' tho we nah are like tha wor then,
We may yet be as nobby as thee.
Tha'd to see thi own livin when young,
An' when tha grew up tha'd to spin;?An' if labor like that worn't wrong,
Tha con hardly call wayvin 'a sin.'
But tha longs to be off aw con tell;
For tha shows 'at tha ar'nt content:?Soa aw'll oppen thee th' window--farewell!
Off tha goas, bonny fly!--An' it went.
Uncle Ben
A gradely chap wor uncle Ben
As iver lived ith' fowd:?He made a fortun for hissen,
An' lived on't when he'r owd.?His yed wor like a snow drift,
An' his face wor red an' breet,?An' his heart wor like a feather,
For he did the thing 'at's reet.
He wore th' same suit o' fustian clooas
He'd worn sin aw wor bred;?An' th' same owd booits, wi' cappel'd tooas,
An' th' same hat for his yed;?His cot wor lowly, yet he'd sing
Throo braik o' day till neet;?His conscience niver felt a sting,
For he did the thing 'at's reet.
He wod'nt swap his humble state
Wi' th' grandest fowk i' th' land;?He niver wanted silver plate,
Nor owt 'at's rich and grand;?He did'nt sleep wi' curtained silk
Drawn raand him ov a neet,?But he slept noa war for th' want o' that,
For he'd done the thing 'at's reet.
Owd fowk called him "awr Benny,"
Young fowk, "mi uncle Ben,"--?An' th' childer, "gronfather," or "dad,"
Or what best pleased thersen.?A gleam o' joy coom o'er his face
When he heeard ther patterin feet,?For he loved to laik wi' th' little bairns
An' he did the thing 'at's reet.
He niver turned poor fowk away
Uncared for throo his door;?He ne'er forgate ther wor a day
When he hissen wor poor;?An' mony a face has turned to Heaven,
All glistenin wi' weet,?An' prayed for blessins on owd Ben,
For he did th' thing 'at's reet.
He knew his lease wor ommost spent,
He'd sooin be called away;?Yet he wor happy an' content,
An' waited th' comin day;?But one dark neet he shut his e'en,
An' slept soa calm an' sweet,?when mornin coom, th' world held one less,
'At did the thing 'at's reet.
The New Year's Resolve
Says Dick, "ther's a' notion sprung up i' mi yed,
For th' furst time i' th' whole coorse o' mi life,?An' aw've takken a fancy aw'st like to be wed,
If aw knew who to get for a wife.
Aw dooant want a woman wi' beauty, nor brass,
For aw've nawther to booast on misel;?What aw want is a warm-hearted, hard-workin' lass,
An' ther's lots to be fun, aw've heeard tell.
To be single is all weel enuf nah an' then,
But it's awk'ard when th' weshin' day comes;?For aw nivver think sooapsuds agree weel wi' men;
They turn all mi ten fingers to thumbs.
An' awm sure it's a fact, long afoor aw get done,
Aw'm slopt throo mi waist to mi fit;?An' th' floor's in' a pond, as if th' peggy-tub run,
An' mi back warks as if it 'ud split.
Aw fancied aw'st manage at breead-bakin' best;
Soa one day aw bethowt me to try,?But aw gate soa flustered, aw ne'er thowt o'th' yeast,
Soa aw mud as weel offered to fly.
Aw did mak a dumplin', but a'a! dear a me!
Abaght that lot aw hardly dar think;?Aw ne'er fan th' mistak' till aw missed th' sooap, yo see,
An' saw th' suet i'th' sooap-box o'th' sink.
But a new-year's just startin', an' soa aw declare
Aw'll be wed if a wife's to be had;?For mi clooas is soa ragg'd woll aw'm ommost hauf bare,
An' thease mullucks, they're drivin' me mad.
Soa, if yo should know, or should chonce to hear tell,
Ov a lass 'at to wed is inclined,?Talegraft me at once, an' aw'll see her misel
Afoor shoo can alter her mind."
The Old Bachelor's Story
It was an humble cottage,
Snug in a rustic lane,?Geraniums and fuschias peep'd
From every window-pane;
The dark-leaved ivy dressed its walls,
Houseleek adorned the thatch;?The door was standing open wide,
They had no need of latch.
And close besides the corner
There stood an old stone well,?Which caught a mimic waterfall,
That warbled as it fell.
The cat, crouched on the well-worn steps,
Was blinking in the sun;?The birds sang out a welcome
To the morning just begun.
An air of peace and happiness
Pervaded all the scene;?The tall trees formed a back ground
Of rich and varied green;
And all was steeped in quietness,
Save nature's music wild,?When all at once, methought I heard
The sobbing of a child.--
I listened, and the sound again
Smote clearly on my ear:?"Can there,"--I wondering asked myself--
"Can there be sorrow here?"--
I looked within, and on the floor
Was sat a little boy,?Striving to soothe his sister's grief
By giving her a toy.
"Why weeps your sister thus?" I asked;
"What is her cause of grief??Come tell me, little man," I said,
"Come tell me, and be brief."
Clasping