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 la.s.s 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 la.s.s,' 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 la.s.s 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 n.o.bbut 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.

Two childer wor added to th' stock, But aw drank, an mi wark went to th' bad; An awve known em be rooarin for jock, Wol awve druffen what they should ha had.

Aw seldom went hooam but to sleep, Tho Bessy ne'er offered to chide; But grief 'at is silent is deep, An sorrow's net easy to hide.

If th' childer wod n.o.bbut complain, Or Bessy get peevish an tart, Aw could put up wi th' anguish or pain, But ther kindness is braikin mi heart.

Little Emma, poor child, ov a neet Does th' neighbours odd jobs nah and then, An shoo runs hersen off ov her feet, For a hawpny, they think for hersen.

An shoo saved em until shoo gat three, But this mornin away shoo went aght, An spent em o' bacca for me, 'Coss shoo thowt aw luk'd looansum withaat.

It's a lesson awst nivver forget, An awve bid a gooid-bye to strong drink; An theyst hev ther reward yo can bet;-- Awst be better when spring comes aw think.

An if spendin what's left o' mi life For ther sakes can mak up for lost time, Ther shan't be a happier wife, Nor three better loved childer nor mine.

Aw can't help mi een runnin o'er, For mi heart does mi conduct condemn; But awl promise to do soa noa moor, If G.o.d spares me to Bessy and them.

Bite Bigger.

As aw hurried throo th' taan to mi wark, (Aw wur lat, for all th' whistles had gooan,) Aw happen'd to hear a remark, At ud fotch tears throo th' heart ov a stooan.-- It wur raanin, an snawin, an cowd, An th' flagstoans wur covered wi muck, An th' east wind booath whistled an howl'd, It saanded like nowt but ill luck; When two little lads, donn'd i' rags, Baght stockins or shoes o' ther feet, Coom trapesin away ower th' flags, Booath on em sodden'd wi th' weet.-- Th' owdest mud happen be ten, Th' young en be hauf on't,--noa moor; As aw luk'd on, aw sed to misen, G.o.d help fowk this weather at's poor!

Th' big en sam'd summat off th' graand, An aw luk'd just to see what 't could be; 'Twur a few wizend flaars he'd faand, An they seem'd to ha fill'd him wi glee: An he sed, "Come on, Billy, may be We shall find summat else by an by, An if net, tha mun share thease wi me When we get to some spot where its dry."

Leet-hearted they trotted away, An aw follow'd, coss 'twur i' mi rooad; But aw thowt awd ne'er seen sich a day-- It worn't fit ta be aght for a tooad.

Sooin th' big en agean slipt away, An sam'd summat else aght o'th' muck, An he cried aght, "Luk here, Bill! to-day Arn't we blest wi' a seet o' gooid luck?

Here's a apple! an th' mooast on it's saand: What's rotten aw'll throw into th' street-- Worn't it gooid to ligg thear to be faand?

Nah booath on us con have a treat."

Soa he wiped it, an rubb'd it, an then Sed, "Billy, thee bite off a bit; If tha hasn't been lucky thisen Tha shall share wi me sich as aw get."

Soa th' little en bate off a touch, T'other's face beemed wi pleasur all throo, An' he sed, "Nay, tha hasn't taen much, Bite agean, an bite bigger; nah do!"

Aw waited to hear nowt noa moor,-- Thinks aw, thear's a lesson for me!

Tha's a heart i' thi breast, if tha'rt poor: Th' world wur richer wi' moor sich as thee!

Tuppince wur all th' bra.s.s aw had, An awd ment it for ale when coom nooin, But aw thowt aw'll goa give it yond lad, He desarves it for what he's been dooin.

Soa aw sed, "Lad, here's tuppince for thee, For thi sen,"--an they stared like two geese; But he sed, woll th' tear stood in his e'e, "Nay, it'll just be a penny a piece."

"G.o.d bless thi! do just as tha will, An may better days speedily come; Tho clam'd, an hauf donn'd, mi lad, still Tha'rt a deal nearer Heaven nur some."