Enoch Arden, &c.

NORTHERN FARMER.

NORTHERN FARMER.
       old style.
    —

                         I.
  Wheer 'asta bean saw long and mea liggin' 'ere
       aloan?
  Noorse? thoort nowt o' a noorse: whoy, doctor's abean
       an' agoan:
  Says that I moant 'a naw moor yaale: but I beant a
       fool:
  Git ma my yaale, fur I beant a-gooin' to break my
       rule.

                      II.
  Doctors, they knaws nowt, for a says what's nawways
       true:
  Naw soort o' koind o' use to saay the things that
       a do.
  I've 'ed my point o' yaale ivry noight sin' I bean
       'ere,
  An' I've 'ed my quart ivry market-noight for foorty
       year.

                     III.
  Parson's a bean loikewoise, an' a sittin' ere o' my
       bed.
  'The amoighty's a taakin o' you to 'issen, my friend,'
       'a said,
  An' a towd ma my sins, an's toithe were due, an' I gied
       it in hond;
  I done my duty by un, as I 'a done by the
       lond.

                      IV.
  Larn'd a ma' bea. I reckons I 'annot sa mooch to
       larn.
  But a cost oop, thot a did, 'boot Bessy Marris's
       barn.
  Thof a knaws I hallus voated wi' Squoire an' choorch
       an staate,
  An' i' the woost o' toimes I wur niver agin the
       raate.

                         V.
  An' I hallus comed to 's choorch afoor moy Sally wur
       dead,
  An' 'eerd un a bummin' awaay loike a buzzard-clock*
       ower my yead,
  An' I niver knaw'd whot a mean'd but I thowt a 'ad
       summut to saay,
  An I thowt a said whot a owt to 'a said an' I comed
       awaay.
                       *Cockchafer.

                      VI.
  Bessy Marris's barn! tha knaws she laaid it to
       mea.
  Mowt 'a bean, mayhap, for she wur a bad un,
       shea.
  'Siver, I kep un, I kep un, my lass, tha mun under-stond;
  I done my duty by un as I 'a done by the
       lond.

                     VII.
  But Parson a comes an' a goos, an' a says it easy an'
       freea
  'The amoighty's a taakin o' you to 'issen, my friend,'
       says 'ea.
  I weant saay men be loiars, thof summun said it in
       'aaste:
  But a reads wonn sarmin a weeak, an' I 'a stubb'd
       Thornaby waaste.

                    VIII.
  D'ya moind the waaste, my lass? naw, naw, tha was
       not born then;
  Theer wur a boggle in it, I often 'eerd un
       mysen;
  Moast loike a butter-bump,* for I 'eerd un aboot an
       aboot,
  But I stubb'd un oop wi' the lot, an' raaved an
       rembled un oot.
                        *Bittern.

                      IX.
  Keaper's it wur; fo' they fun un theer a laaid on 'is
       faace
  Doon i' the woild 'enemies* afoor I comed to the
       plaace.
  Noaks or Thimbleby—toner 'ed shot un as dead as
       a naail.
  Noaks wur 'ang'd for it oop at 'soize—but git ma
       my yaale.
                        *Anenomes.

                         X.
  Dubbut looak at the waaste: theer warn't not fead
       for a cow:
  Nowt at all but bracken an' fuzz, an' looak at it
       now—
  Warn't worth nowt a haacre, an' now theer's lots o'
       fead,
  Fourscore yows upon it an' some on it doon in
       sead.

                      XI.
  Nobbut a bit on it's left, an' I mean'd to 'a stubb'd
       it at fall,
  Done it ta-year I mean'd, an' runn'd plow thruff it
       an' all,
  If godamoighty an' parson 'ud nobbut let ma
       aloan,
  Mea, wi' haate oonderd haacre o' Squoire's an' lond
       o' my oan.

                     XII.
  Do godamoighty knaw what a's doing a-taakin' o'
       mea?
  I beant wonn as saws 'ere a bean an' yonder a
       pea;
  An' Squoire 'ull be sa mad an' all—a' dear a'
       dear!
  And I 'a monaged for Squoire come Michaelmas
       thirty year.

                    XIII.
  A mowt 'a taaken Joanes, as 'ant a 'aapoth o'
       sense,
  Or a mowt a' taaken Robins—a niver mended a
       fence:
  But godamoighty a moost taake mea an' taake ma
       now
  Wi 'auf the cows to cauve an' Thornaby holms to
       plow!

                     XIV.
  Looak 'ow quoloty smoiles when they sees ma a
       passin' by,
  Says to thessen naw doot 'what a mon a be
       sewer-ly!'
  For they knaws what I bean to Squoire sin fust a
       comed to the 'All;
  I done my duty by Squoire an' I done my duty
       by all.

                      XV.
  Squoire's in Lunnon, an' summun I reckons 'ull 'a to
       wroite,
  For who's to howd the lond ater mea thot muddles
       ma quoit;
  Sartin-sewer I bea, thot a weant niver give it to
       Joanes,
  Noither a moant to Robins—a niver rembles the
       stoans.

                     XVI.
  But summun 'ull come ater mea mayhap wi' 'is kittle
       o' steam
  Huzzin' an' maazin' the blessed fealds wi' the Divil's
       oan team.
  Gin I mun doy I mun doy, an' loife they says is
       sweet,
  But gin I mun doy I mun doy, for I couldn abear to
       see it.

                    XVII.
  What atta stannin' theer for, an' doesn bring ma the
       yaale?
  Doctor's a 'tottler, lass, an a's hallus i' the owd
       taale;
  I weant break rules for Doctor, a knaws naw moor
       nor a floy;

       mun doy.