Yorkshire Ditties, Second Series | Page 3

dark despair;?They felt they'd nowt but lovin hearts,
An' want an toil to share.?At length he screw'd his courage up
To leave his native shore;?An' goa where wealth wor worshipped less,
An' men wor valued moor.
He towld his tale;--poor lass!--a tear
Just glistened in her e'e;?Then soft shoo whispered, "please thisen,
But think sometimes o' me:?An' whether tha's gooid luck or ill,
Tha knows aw shall be glad?To see thee safe at hooam agean,
An' welcome back mi lad."
"Awl labor on, an' do mi best;
Tho' lonely aw must feel,?But awst be happy an content
If tha be dooin weel.?But ne'er forget tho' waves may roll,
An' keep us far apart;?Thas left a poor, poor lass behind,
An taen away her heart."
"Dost think 'at aw can e'er forget,
Wheariver aw may rooam,?That bonny face an' lovin heart,
Awve prized soa dear at hoam??Nay lass, nooan soa, be sure o' this,
'At till next time we meet?Tha'll be mi first thowt ivery morn,
An' last thowt ivery neet."
He went a way an' years flew by,
But tidins seldom came;?Shoo couldn't help, at times, a sigh,
But breathed noa word o' blame;?When one fine day a letter came,
'Twor browt to her at th' mill,?Shoo read it, an' her tremlin bands,
An' beating heart stood still.
Her fellow workers gathered raand
An caught her as shoo fell,?An' as her heead droop'd o' ther arms,
Shoo sighed a sad "farewell.?Poor lass! her love had proved untrue,
He'd play'd a traitor's part,?He'd taen another for his bride,
An' broke a trustin heart."
Her doleful story sooin wor known,
An' monny a tear wor shed;?They took her hooam an' had her laid,
Upon her humble bed;?Shoo'd nawther kith nor kin to come
Her burial fees to pay;?But some poor comrade's undertuk,
To see her put away.
Each gave what little helps they could,
From aat ther scanty stoor;?I' hopes 'at some at roll'd i' wealth
Wod give a trifle moor.?But th' maisters ordered 'em away,
Abaat ther business, sharp!?For shoo'd deed withaat a nooatice,
An' shoo hadn't fell'd her warp.
To a Daisy,
Found blooming March 7th.
A'a awm feeared tha's come too sooin,
Little daisy!?Pray, whativer wor ta doin?
Are ta crazy??Winter winds are blowin' yet,?Tha'll be starved, mi little pet.
Did a gleam'o' sunshine warm thee,
An deceive thee??Niver let appearance charm thee,
For believe me,?Smiles tha'll find are oft but snares,?Laid to catch thee unawares.
Still aw think it luks a shame,
To tawk sich stuff;?Aw've lost faith, an tha'll do th' same,
Hi, sooin enuff:?If tha'rt happy as tha art?Trustin' must be th' wisest part.
Come, aw'll pile some bits o' stooan,
Raand thi dwellin';?They may screen thee when aw've gooan
Ther's no tellin';?An' when gentle spring draws near?Aw'll release thee, niver fear.
An' if then thi pratty face,
Greets me smilin';?Aw may come an' sit bith' place,
Time beguilin';?Glad to think aw'd paar to be,?Ov some use, if but to thee.
A Bad Sooart.
Aw'd raythur face a redwut brick,?Sent flyin' at mi heead;?Aw'd raythur track a madman's steps,?Whearivei they may leead;?Aw'd raythur ventur in a den,?An' stail a lion's cub:?Aw'd raythur risk the foamin wave?In an old leaky tub;?Aw'd raythur stand i'th' midst o'th fray,?Whear bullets thickest shower;?Nor trust a mean, black hearted man,?At's th' luck to be i' power.
A redwut brick may miss its mark,?A madman change his whim;?A lion may forgive a theft;?A leaky tub may swim;?Bullets may pass yo harmless by,?An' leave all safe at last;?A thaasand thunders shake the sky,?An' spare yo when they've past;?Yo' may o'ercome mooast fell disease;?Make poverty yo'r friend;?But wi' a mean, blackhearted man,?Noa mortal can contend.
Ther's malice in his kindest smile,?His proffered hand's a snare;?He's plannin deepest villany,?When seemingly mooast fair;?He leads yo' on wi' oily tongue,?Swears he's yo're fastest friend.?He get's yo' once within his coils,?An' crushes yo' ith' end.?Old Nick, we're tell'd, gooas prowlin' aat,?An' seeks whom to devour;?But he's a saint, compared to some,?'At's th' luk to be i' power.
All we Had.
It worn't for her winnin ways,
Nor for her bonny face?But shoo wor th' only lass we had,
An that quite alters th' case.
We'd two fine lads as yo need see,
An' weel we love 'em still;?But shoo war th' only lass we had,
An' we could spare her ill.
We call'd her bi mi mother's name,
It saanded sweet to me;?We little thowt ha varry sooin
Awr pet wod have to dee.
Aw used to watch her ivery day,
Just like a oppenin bud;?An' if aw couldn't see her change,
Aw fancied' at aw could.
Throo morn to neet her little tongue
Wor allus on a stir;?Awve heeard a deeal o' childer lisp,
But nooan at lispt like her.
Sho used to play all sooarts o' tricks,
'At childer shouldn't play;?But then, they wor soa nicely done,
We let her have her way.
But bit bi bit her spirits fell,
Her face grew pale an' thin;?For all her little fav'rite toys
Shoo didn't care a pin.
Aw saw th' old wimmin shak ther heeads,
Wi monny a doleful nod;?Aw knew they thowt shoo'd goa, but still
Aw couldn't think shoo wod.
Day after day my wife an' me,
Bent o'er that suff'rin child,?Shoo luk'd at mammy, an' at me,
Then shut her een