THE CHOUGH AND CROW.

THE Chough and crow to roost are gone, The owl sits on the tree,

The hush'd wind wails with feeble moan, Like infant charity.

The wild fire dances on the fen,

The red star sheds its ray, Uprouse ye, then, my merry men! It is our opening day.

Both child and nurse are fast asleep,
And closed is every flower,
The winking tapers faintly peep

High from my lady's bower;
Bewildered hinds with shortened ken

Shrink in their murky way. Uprouse ye, then, my merry men ! It is our opening day.

No board nor garner own we now,
Nor roof nor latched door,
Nor kind mate bound by holy vow
To bless a poor man's store;
Noon lulls us in a gloomy den,

And night has grown our day;
Uprouse ye, then, my merry men !
It is our opening day.

WOO'D AND MARRIED AND A'.

THE bride she is winsome and bonny,
Her hair it is snooded1 sae sleek,
And faithfu' and kind is her Johnny,
Yet fast fa' the tears on her cheek.
New pearlins2 are cause of her sorrow
New pearlins and plenishing too;
The bride that has a' to borrow,
Has e'en right mickle ado.4

Woo'd and married and a'!

Woo'd and married and a'!

Isna she very weel aff

To be woo'd and married and a'!

Her mither then hastily spak :

"The lassie is glaikit" wi' pride,
In my pouch I had never a plack
The day that I was a bride.

E'en tak to your wheel and be clever,
And draw out your thread in the sun;
The gears that is gifted, it never

Will last like a gear that is won.

1 Hooded.

2 Lace. 3
4
Furnishings.
6 Pocket. 7 Penny.

Much to do. 8 Goods.

5 Glaikit.

Woo'd and married and a'!

Wi' havins1 and tocher2 sae sma'!
I think ye are very weel aff

To be woo'd and married and a'!”

"Toot! toot!" quo' her grey-headed faither,
"She's less of a bride than a bairn;
She's ta'en like a cout3 frae the heather,
Wi' sense and discretion to learn.
Half husband, I trow, and half daddy,
As humour inconstantly leans,
The chiel1 maun be patient and steady
That yokes wi' a mate in her teens.

A' kerchief sae douce and sae neat
O'er her locks that the wind used to blaw,
I'm baith like to laugh and to greet
When I think o' her married at a'!"

Then out spak the wily bridegroom;
Weel waled were his wordies I ween;
"I'm rich, though my coffer be toom,7

Wi' the blink o' your bonny blue e'en.8
I'm prouder of thee by my side,

Though thy ruffles and ribbons be few,
Than if Kate o' the Crafts were my bride,
Wi' purples and pearlies enow!

Dear and dearest of ony!

Ye're woo'd and beecket,1 and a'!
And do you think scorn of your Johnny
And grieve to be married at a'?"

She turned, and she blushed, and she smiled, And she lookit sae bashfully down;

The pride of her heart was beguiled,

And she played wi' the sleeve o' her gown. She twirled the tag o' her lace,

And she nippit her bodice sae blue,

Syne2 blinkit sae sweet in his face,
And aff, like a mawkin,3 she flew.

Woo'd and married and a'!
Wi' Johnny to roose1 her and a'!
She thinks hersel' very weel aff
To be woo'd and married and a'

1 Housed.

2 Then. 3 Rabbit. 4 Extol.

"TAM O' THE LIN."

TAM o' the Lin was fu' o' pride,

And his weapon he girt to his valorous side,
A scabbard of leather wi' de'il hair't1 within,
"Attack me wha daur!" quo' Tam o' the Lin.

Tam o' the Lin, he bought a maer ;2

She cost him five shillings, she wasna dear
Her back stuck up, and her sides fell in,
"A fiery yauds!" quo' Tam o' the Lin.

Tam o' the Lin, he courted a May;

r;

She stared at him sourly, and said him nay;

But he stroked down his jerkin, and cocked up his

chin,

"She aims at a laird, then!" quo' Tam o' the Lin.

Tam o' the Lin, he gaed to the fair,

Yet he looked wi' disdain on the chapman's ware;
Then chucked out a sixpence, the sixpence was tin,

66

There's coin for the fiddlers," quo' Tam o' the Lin.

Tam o' the Lin wad show his lear,1

And he scained5 o'er the book wi' wise-like stare;
He muttered confusedly, but didna begin,
"This is Dominie's business," quo' Tam o' the Lin.

1 A bit.

2 Mare.

3 Jade.

4 Learning.

5 Conned.