We have noa wealth i' gold or lands,
But cheerful hearts, an willin hands;
Altho soa monny maaths to fill,
We live i' hooaps an labor still.
Ther little limbs when stronger grown,
Will be a fortun we shall own.
We're in a mooild thro morn to neet,
But rest comes to us doubly sweet,
An fowk learn patience, yo can bet,
When they've to care for sich a set.
But we can honestly declare,
Ther isn't one at we can spare.
Ther little tricks cause monny a smile,
An help to leeten days o' toil.
An joyfully aw say, "Bith' mass!
Well, God bless thi childer, lass."
My Lass.
Fairest lass amang the monny,
Hair as black as raven, O.
Net another lass as bonny,
Lives i'th' dales ov Craven, O.
City lasses may be fairer,
May be donned i' silks an laces,
But ther's nooan whose charms are rarer,
Nooan can show sich bonny faces.
Yorksher minstrel tune thy lyre,
Show thou art no craven, O;
In thy strains 'at mooast inspire,
Sing the praise ov Craven, O.
Purest breezes toss their tresses,
Tint ther cheeks wi' rooases, O,
An old Sol wi' warm caresses,
Mak 'em bloom like pooasies, O.
Others may booast birth an riches,
May have studied grace ov motion,
But they lack what mooast bewitches,—
Hearts 'at love wi' pure devotion.
Perfect limbs an round full bosoms,
Sich as set men ravin, O,
Only can be faand i' blossoms,
Sich as bloom i' Craven, O,
An amang the fairest,—sweetest,
Ther's net sich a brave en, O;
For her beauty's the completest,
Yo can find i' Craven, O.
Ivvery charm 'at mother Nature
Had to give, shoo placed upon her,—-
Modest ways, an comely feature—
Health ov body,—soul ov honor
Isn't shoo a prize worth winnin?
An a gem worth savin, O?
Smile on,—sooin yo'll stop yor grinnin,
When my lass leeaves Craven, O.
A Gooid Kursmiss Day.
It wor Kursmiss day,—we wor ready for fun,
Th' puddin wor boil'd an th' rooast beef wor done;
Th' ale wor i'th' cellar, an th' spice-cake i'th' bin,
An th' cheese wor just lively enuff to walk in.
Th' lads wor all donned i' ther hallidy clooas,
An th' lasses,—they each luckt as sweet as a rooas;
An th' old wife an me, set at each end o'th' hob,
An th' foir wor splutterin raand a big cob,
An aw sed, "Nah, old lass,
Tho we havn't mich brass,
We shall celebrate Kursmiss to-day."
Th' young fowk couldn't rest, they kept lukkin at th' clock,
Yo'd a thowt 'twor a wick sin they'd had any jock,
But we winkt one at tother as mich as to say,
They mun wait for th' reight time, for ther mother has th' kay.
Then they all went to th' weshus at stood just aghtside,
An they couldn't ha made mich moor din if they'd tried,
For they skriked an they giggled an shaated like mad,
An th' wife sed, "They're happy," an aw sed, "Awm glad,
An be thankful old lass,
Tho we havn't mich brass,
We shall celebrate Kursmiss to-day."
When twelve o'clock struck, th' wife says "aw'll prepare,
An ov ivvery gooid thing they shall all have a share;
But aw think some o'th' lasses should help me for once,"
An aw answered, "ov coorse,—they'll be glad ov a chonce."
Soa aw went to call em, but nivver a sign
Could aw find o' them strackle-brained childer o' mine;
An when th' wife went ith' cellar for th' puddin an th' beef,
An saw th' oppen winder, it filled her wi grief,
An shoo sed, "nay old lad,
This is rayther too bad,
We can't celebrate Kursmiss to-day,"
Aw went huntin raand, an ith' weshus aw faand,
Some bits o' cold puddin, beef, spicecake an cheese;
Then aw heard a big shaat, an when aw lukt agivt,
Them taistrels wor laffin as hard as yo pleeas.
Aw felt rayther mad,—but ov coorse awm ther dad,
An as it wor Kursmiss aw tuk it as fun;
But what made me capt, wor th' ale worn't tapt,
Soa mi old wife an me stuck to that wol 'twor done.
An aw railly did feel
We enjoyed ussen weel,
An we had a gooid Kursmiss that day.