Volume Ii Part 66 (1/2)

”BEHAVE YOURSEL' BEFORE FOLK”

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk, And dinna be sae rude to me, As kiss me sae before folk.

It wadna gi'e me meikle pain, Gin we were seen and heard by nane, To tak' a kiss, or grant you ane; But guidsake! no before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk; Whate'er ye do, when out o' view, Be cautious aye before folk.

Consider, lad, how folk will crack, And what a great affair they'll mak'

O' naething but a simple smack, That's gi'en or ta'en before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk; Nor gi'e the tongue o' auld or young Occasion to come o'er folk.

It's no through hatred o' a kiss, That I sae plainly tell you this; But, los.h.!.+ I tak' it sair amiss To be sae teased before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk; When we're our lane ye may tak' ane, But fient a ane before folk.

I'm sure wi' you I've been as free As ony modest la.s.s should be; But yet it doesna do to see Sic freedom used before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk; I'll ne'er submit again to it-- So mind you that--before folk.

Ye tell me that my face is fair; It may be sae--I dinna care-- But ne'er again gar't blush sae sair As ye ha'e done before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk; Nor heat my cheeks wi' your mad freaks, But aye be douce before folk.

Ye tell me that my lips are sweet, Sic tales, I doubt, are a' deceit; At ony rate, it's hardly meet To pree their sweets before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk; Gin that's the case, there's time, and place, But surely no before folk.

But, gin you really do insist That I should suffer to be kissed, Gae, get a license frae the priest, And mak' me yours before folk.

Behave yoursel' before folk, Behave yoursel' before folk; And when we're ane, baith flesh and bane, Ye may tak' ten--before folk.

Alexander Rodger [1784-1846]

RORY O'MORE; OR, GOOD OMENS

Young Rory O'More courted Kathleen bawn, He was bold as a hawk,--she as soft as the dawn; He wished in his heart pretty Kathleen to please, And he thought the best way to do that was to tease.

”Now, Rory, be aisy,” sweet Kathleen would cry (Reproof on her lip, but a smile in her eye), ”With your tricks I don't know, in troth, what I'm about, Faith, you've teased till I've put on my cloak inside out.”

”Och! jewel,” says Rory, ”that same is the way You've thrated my heart for this many a day; And 'tis plazed that I am, and why not, to be sure?

For 'tis all for good luck,” says bold Rory O'More.

”Indeed, then,” says Kathleen, ”don't think of the like, For I half gave a promise to soothering Mike; The ground that I walk on he loves, I'll be bound.”

”Faith,” says Rory, ”I'd rather love you than the ground.”

”Now, Rory, I'll cry if you don't let me go; Sure I drame ev'ry night that I'm hating you so!”

”Oh,” says Rory, ”that same I'm delighted to hear, For drames always go by conthrairies, my dear; So, jewel, keep draming that same till you die, And bright mornin' will give dirty night the black lie!

And 'tis plazed that I am, and why not, to be sure?