mind em,
   For aw wodn't for all aw could see.

All araand me aw see ther's moor pleasure
   Nor aw can enjoy wol aw live;
An contentment is this world's best treasure,
   Then why should aw sit daan an grieve?
If they enjoy naggin an growlin,
   It maks little difference to me,
But wi th' world full o' pleasure to roll in:—
   Why, aw wodn't for all aw could see.

Come thi Ways!

Bonny lassie, come thi ways,
   An let us goa together!
Tho' we've met wi stormy days,
   Ther'll be some sunny weather.
An if joy should spring for me,
   Tha shall freely share it;
An if trouble comes to thee,
   Aw can help to bear it.

Tho' thi mammy says us nay,
   An thi dad's unwillin';
Wod ta have me pine away
   Wi this love at's killin'?
Come thi ways, an let me twine
   Mi arms once moor abaght thee;
Weel tha knows mi heart is thine,
   Aw couldn't live withaat thee.

Ivvery day an haar at slips,
   Some pleasure we are missin',
For those bonny rooasy lips
   Awm nivver stall'd o' kissin'.
If men wor wise to walk life's track
   Withaat sith joys to glad 'em,
He must ha made a sad mistak
   At gave a Eve to Adam.

What is it?

What is it maks a crusty wife
Forget to scold, an leeave off strife?
What is it smoothes th' rooad throo life?
                           It's sooap.

What is it maks a gaumless muff
Grow rich, an roll i' lots o' stuff,
Woll better men can't get enough?
                           It's sooap.

What is it, if it worn't theear,
Wod mak some fowks feel varry queer,
An put em i' ther proper sphere?
                           It's sooap.

What is it maks fowk wade throo th' snow,
To goa to th' church, becoss they know
'At th' squire's at hooam an sure to goa?
                           It's sooap.

What is it gains fowk invitations,
Throo them at live i' lofty stations?
What is it wins mooast situations?
                           It's sooap.

What is it men say they detest,
Yet allus like that chap the best
'At gives em twice as mich as th' rest?
                           It's sooap.

What is it, when the devil sends
His agents raand to work his ends,
What is it gains him lots o' friends?
                           It's sooap.

What is it we should mooast despise,
An by its help refuse to rise,
Tho' poverty's befoor awr eyes?
                           It's sooap.

What is it, when life's wasting fast,
When all this world's desires are past,
Will prove noa use to us at last?
                           It's sooap.

Awst Nivver be Jaylus.

"Awst nivver be jaylus, net aw!"
   Sed Nancy to th' love ov her heart,
"Aw couldn't, lad, if awd to try,
   For aw know varry weel what tha art.
Aw could trust thee to th' world's farthest point,
   Noa matter what wimmen wor thear,
They'd nooan put mi nooas aght o'th joint,
   Tha'd come back to thi lass tha left here.

Though tha did walk Leweezy to th' church,
   An fowk wink'd an dropt monny a hint,
Aw knew tha'd nooan leav me i'th lurch,
   For a dowdy like her wi a squint.
An Ellen at lives at th' yard end,
   May simper an innocent look,
But aw think shoo'll ha' farther to fend,
   Befoor shoo's a fish to her hook.

Nay, jaylussy's aght o' my line,
   Or else that young widdy next door,
Wod ha heeard some opinions o' mine,
   At wodn't quite suit her awm sewer.
What tha can see in her caps me,
   For awm sewer shoo's as faal as old Flue,
An aw think when shoo's tawkin to thee,
   Shoo mud find surnmat better to do.

'Shoo's a varry nice lass,' does ta say?
   'An luks looansum tha thinks?' oh! that's it!
Tha'd better set off reight away,
   An try to console her a bit.
Shoo's a two-faced deceitful young freet!
   Aw wish shoo wor teed raand thi neck!
But goa to her an tell her to-neet,
   At Nancy has given thi th' seck.

Awm nooan jaylus! aw ammot that fond!
   Aw think far too mich o' mysen
To care for sich a poucement as yond,
   At hankers for other fowk's men!
Aw tell thi aw'll net hold mi tongue!
   Awm nooan jaylus tha madlin! it's thee!*
An aw allus shall trust thee as long
   As tha nooatices nubdy but me."

Lamentin' an Repentin'.

Awst be better when spring comes, aw think,
   But aw feel varry sickly an waik,
Awve noa relish for mait nor for drink,
   An awm ommost too weary to laik.

What's to come on us all aw can't tell,
   For we havn't a shillin put by;
Ther's nowt left to pop nor to sell,
   An aw cannot get trust if aw try.

My wife has to turn aght to wark,
   An th' little uns all do a share;
An they're tewin throo dayleet to dark,
   To keep me sittin here i' mi chair.

It doesn't luk long sin that day
   When Bessy wor stood bi mi side;
An shoo promised to love an obey,
   An me to protect an provide.

Shoo wor th' bonniest lass i' all th' taan,
   An fowk sed as they saw us that day,
When we coom aght o' th' church, arm i' arm,
   Shoo wor throwin' hersen reight away.

But shoo smiled i' mi face as we went,
   An her arm clung moor tightly to mine;
"Aw feel happy," shoo sed, "an content
   To know at tha'rt mine an awm thine."

Aw wor praad ov her bonny breet een,—
   Aw wor praad ov her little white hand,—
An aw thowt shoo wor fit for a queen,
   For ther wornt a grander ith' land.

We gat on varry weel for a bit,
   An aw stuck to mi wark like a man,
An enjoying mi hooam, thear awd sit,
   As a chap at works hard nobbut can.

We hadn't been wed quite a year,
   When they showed me a grand little lad,
An th' old wimmen sed, "Sithee! luk here!
   He's th' image exact ov his dad."

But mi mates nivver let me alooan,
   Till aw joined i' ther frolics and spree,
An tho' Bessy went short, or had nooan,
   Shoo wor kinder nor ivver to me.

Sometimes when shoo's ventur'd to say,
   "Come hooam an stop in lad, to-neet."
Awve felt shamed an awve hurried away,
   For her een have been glist'nin wi weet.

An awve sed to misen 'at awd mend,
   For it's wrang to be gooin on soa;
But at neet back to th' aleus awd wend,
   Wi th' furst swillgut at ax'd me to goa.