Part 12

Wi' pipe an' book i' t' chimley nook Time flies on noiseless wing; Shoo sits an' knits wi' pleasant face, He's happy as a king.

Wi' tattlin' folks shoo's niver seen I' alley, loin(1) or street, But goes her way wi' modest step, Exact an' clean an' neat.

Her neighbours soomtimes watch her aat, An' say shoo's praad an' stiff; But all their gossip cooms to nowt, Aunt Nancy's reight enif.

Wi' basket oft shoo walks abroad To some poor lonely elf; To ivery one shoo knaws t' reight way At's poorer nor(2) herself.

Shoo niverr speyks o' what shoo gives, Kind, gentle-hearted sowl; I' charity her hands find wark, Shoo's good alike to all.

He niver tells her what he thinks, Nor flatters nor reproves; His life is baand wi' gowlden bands To t' woman at he loves.

God bless her, shoo's a dimond breet, Both good i' mind an' heart; An angel spreeadin' light an' love, That plays a noble part.

Shoo's worthy of a monarch's choice, Her worth can ne'er be towld ; Shoo cam to mak folks' hearts feel glad, Shoo's worth her weight i' gowld.

1 Lane. 2 Than.

Coom, don on thy Bonnet an' Shawl (1867)

Thomas Blackah

Coom, don on thy bonnet an' shawl, An' straighten thy cap an' thy hair; I's really beginnin' to stall(1) To see thee sit dazzin'(2) i' t' chair.

Sea coom, let us tak a walk oot, For t' air is as warm as a bee; I hennot(3) a morsel o' doot It'll help beath lile Willy an' thee.

We'll gan reet throo t' Middle Toon, As far as to Reavensgill Heead(4); When thar, we can sit wersens doon On t' crags close at side o' t' becksteead.

An' then, oh! hoo grand it'll be To pass a few minutes away, An' listen t' birds sing on each tree Their carols for closin' the day.

An' all aboot t' green nobby hills, T' lile daisies their beauties will show; An' t' perfume at Flora distils Like breath o' the mornin' will blow.

Then don on thy bonnet an' shawl, An' coom let's be walkin' away; I's fairly beginnin' to stall To see thee sit dazzin' all t' day.

1 Grow tired. 2. Dozing. 3. Have not. 4. Near Pateley Bridge.

My awd hat

Thomas Blackah

I'll wear thee yet awhile, awd hat, I'll wear thee yet awhile; Though time an' tempest, beath combined, Have changed thy shap an' style. For sin we two togither met, When thoo were nice an' new, What ups an' doons i' t' world we've had, Bud awlus braved 'em through.

That glossy shade o' thine, awd hat, That glossy shade o' thine, At graced thy youthful days is gean, Which maks me noo repine. Fra monny a gleam an' monny a shoor Thoo's sheltered my awd heead; Bud sean a smarter, tider hat Will shelter 't i' thy steead.

Though friends have proved untrue, awd hat, Though friends have proved untrue, An' vanished in adversity, Like mist or mornin' dew; Yet when fierce storms or trials com I fand a friend i' thee; Sea noo, when thoo's far on, awwd hat, Thoo 'st finnd a friend i' me.

Some nail or crook 'll be thy heame O' t' joists, or back o' t' door; Or, mebbe, thoo'l be bunched(1) aboot Wi' t' barns across o' t' floor. When t' rain an' t' wind coom peltin' through Thy crumpled, battered croon, I'll cut thee up for soles to wear I' my awd slender shoon.

1. Kicked

Reeth Bartle Fair(1) (1870)

John Harland

This mworning as I went to wark, I met Curly just coomin' heame; He had on a new flannin sark(2) An' he saw at I'd just gitten t' seame. "Whar's te been?" said awd Curly to me. "I've been down to Reeth Bartle Fair." "Swat(3) te down, mun, sex needles,"(4) said he, An' tell us what seets te saw there."