But godamoighty a moost taäke meä an' taäke ma now Wi' aäf the cows to cauve an' Thurnaby hoälms to plow!

XIV

Loook 'ow quoloty smoiles when they seeäs ma a passin' boy,

Says to thessén naw doubt 'what a man a beä sewerloy !'

Fur they knaws what I beän to Squoire sin fust a coom'd to the 'All;

I done moy duty by Squoire an' I done moy duty boy hall.

XV

Squoire's i' Lunnon, an' summun I reckons 'ull 'a to wroite,

For whoa's to howd the lond ater meä thot muddles ma quoit ;

Sartin-sewer I beä, thot a weänt niver give it to Joänes, Naw, nor a moänt to Robins-a niver rembles the stoäns.

XVI

But summun 'ull come ater meä mayhap wi' 'is kittle o' steam

Huzzin' an' maäzin' the blessed feälds wi' the Divil's oän team.

Sin' I mun doy I mun doy, thaw loife they says is sweet, But sin' I mun doy I mun doy, for I couldn abeär to see it.

XVII

What atta stannin' theer fur, an' doesn bring ma the

aäle?

Doctor's a 'toättler, lass, an a's hallus i' the owd taäle; I weänt break rules fur Doctor, a knaws naw moor

nor a floy;

Git ma my aäle I tell tha, an' if I mun doy I mun doy.

XXIII

NORTHERN FARMER

NEW STYLE

I

DOSN'T thou 'ear my 'erse's legs, as they canters awady?

Proputty, proputty, proputty-that's what I 'ears 'em saäy.

Proputty, proputty, proputty-Sam, thou's an ass for thy paaïns :

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. 1

Proputty, proputty-woä then woä-let ma 'ear mysén speak.

III

Me an' thy muther, Sammy, 'as beän a-talkin' o' thee; Thou's bean 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 for luvv-an' we boäth on us thinks tha an ass.

IV

Seeä'd her todaäy goä by-Saäint's-daäy-they was ringing the bells.

She's a beauty thou thinks-an' soä is scoors o' gells,

1 This week.

Them as 'as munny an' all-wot's a beauty?-the flower as blaws.

But proputty, proputty sticks, an' proputty, proputty graws.

V

Do'ant be stunt :1 taäke time: I knaws what maäkes tha sa mad.

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 muther 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 dead,

Mun be a guvness, lad, or summut, and addle 2 her bread:

Why? fur 'e's nobbut a curate, an' weänt niver git naw 'igher;

An' 'e maade the bed as 'e ligs on afoor 'e coom'd to the shire.

VIII

An 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.

1 Obstinate.

2 Earn.

An' 'e ligs on 'is back i' the grip, wi' noän to lend 'im a shove,

Woorse nor a far-welter'd1 yowe: fur, Sammy, 'e married fur luvv.

IX

Luvv? what's luvv? thou can luvv thy lass an' 'er munny too,

Maakin' 'em goa 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.

X

Ay an' thy muther says thou wants to marry the lass, Cooms of a gentleman burn: an' we boäth on us thinks tha an ass.

Woä then, proputty, wiltha ?—an ass as near as mays nowt 2

Woä then, wiltha? dangtha!—the bees is as fell as Owt.3

XI

Break me a bit o' the esh for his 'eäd, lad, out o' the fence !

Gentleman burn! what's gentleman burn? is it shillins an' pence?

Proputty, proputty's ivrything 'ere, an', Sammy, I'm blest

If it isn't the saäme oop yonder, fur them as 'as it's

the best.

XII

Tis'n them as 'as munny as breaks into 'ouses an'

steäls,

Them as 'as coats to their backs an' taäkes their regular meals.

1 Or fow-welter'd,-said of a sheep lying on its back in the furrow.

Noä, but it's them as niver knaws wheer a meäl's to

be 'ad. Taäke my word for it, Sammy, the poor in a loomp is bad.

XIII

Them or thir feythers, tha sees, mun 'a beän a laäzy lot,

Fur work mun 'a gone to the gittin' whiniver munny was got.

Feyther 'ad ammost nowt; leästways 'is munny was 'id.

But 'e tued an' moil'd 'issén deäd, an 'e died a good un, 'e did.

XIV

Loook thou theer wheer Wrigglesby beck cooms out by the 'ill!

Feyther run oop to the farm, an' I runs oop to the

mill;

An' I'll run oop to the brig, an' that thou'll live to

see;

And if thou marries a good un I'll leave the land to thee.

XV

Thim's my noätions, Sammy, wheerby I means to stick;

But if thou marries a bad un, I'll leave the land to Dick.

Coom oop, proputty, proputty-that's what I 'ears 'im saäy

Proputty, proputty, proputty-canter an' canter awaäy.