[2] Composed on board the steamship Niagara, on her voyage to New York, in August 1849.
[3] One of the stanzas of this song is the composition of the late Mary Russell Mitford and appears in her tale of Atherton. The other stanza was composed by Mr Bennoch, at the urgent request of his much loved friend.
[4] She would speak to one and to another, and nod and smile to many more, but she could not do it to all; but we could kiss her shadow as it fell, and lay our heads on the pillow again, content.—Soldier's Letter from the Crimea.
[5] "Before she came there was cussin' and swearin', but after that it was as holy as a church."—Ibid.
[6] Here first published.
[7] This song was originally Published in the Scots' Magazine for October 1806. In the "Book of Scottish Song," it has been attributed to Allan Ramsay.
[8] This song has been erroneously assigned to Burns.
[9] This lyric and the following are printed from the author's MSS.
[10] Here printed for the first time.
[11] These verses were composed when the author was suffering from a severe pulmonary complaint which he feared would bring him to an early grave. They were addressed to his sister, a girl of five years, who at this period was his companion in his walks.