Volume V Part 17 (1/2)

MY SOUL IS EVER WITH THEE.

My soul is ever with thee, My thoughts are ever with thee, As the flower to the sun, as the lamb to the lea, So turns my fond spirit to thee.

'Mid the cares of the lingering day, When troubles around me be, Fond Fancy for aye will be flitting away-- Away, my beloved, to thee.

When the night-pall darkly spread O'er shadows, tower, and tree, Then the visions of my restless bed Are all, my beloved, of thee.

When I greet the morning beams, When the midnight star I see, Alone--in crowded halls--my dreams-- My dreams are for ever of thee.

As spring to the leafless spray, As calm to the surging sea, To the weary, rest--to the watcher, day-- So art thou, loved Mary, to me.

AULD JOHNNY GRAHAM.

Dear Aunty, what think ye o' auld Johnny Graham?

The carle sae pawkie an' slee!

He wants a bit wifie to tend his bein hame, An' the body has ettled at me.

Wi' bonnet sae vaunty, an owerlay sae clean, An' ribbon that waved 'boon his bree, He cam' doun the cleugh at the gloamin' yestreen, An' rappit, an' soon speert for me.

I bade him come ben whare my minny sae thrang Was birlin' her wheel eidentlie, An', foul fa' the carle, he was na' that lang, Ere he tauld out his errand to me.

”Hech, Tibby, la.s.s! a' yon braid acres o' land, Wi' ripe c.r.a.ps that wave bonnilie, An' meikle mair gear shall be at yer command, Gin' ye will look kindly on me.

”Yon herd o' fat owsen that rout i' the glen, Sax naigies that nibble the lea; The kye i' the sheugh, and the sheep i' the pen, I'se gie a', dear Tibby, to thee.

”An', la.s.sie, I've goupins o' gowd in a stockin', An' pearlin's wad dazzle yer e'e; A mettl'd, but canny young yaud, for the yokin', When ye wad gae jauntin' wi' me.

”I 'll hap ye, and fend ye, and busk ye, and tend ye, And mak' ye the licht o' my e'e; I 'll comfort and cheer ye, and daut ye and dear ye, As couthy as couthy can be.

”I 've lo'ed ye, dear la.s.sie, since first, a bit bairn, Ye ran up the knowe to meet me; An' deckit my bonnet wi' blue bells an' fern, Wi' meikle glad laughin' an' glee.

”An' noo woman grown, an' mensefu', an' fair, An' gracefu' as gracefu' can be-- Will ye tak' an' auld carle wha ne'er had a care For woman, dear Tibby, but thee?”

Sae, Aunty, ye see I 'm a' in a swither, What answer the bodie to gie-- But aften I wish he wad tak' my auld mither, And let puir young Tibby abee.

JEAN LINN.

Oh, haud na' yer noddle sae hie, ma doo!

Oh, haud na' yer noddle sae hie!

The days that hae been, may be yet again seen, Sae look na sae lightly on me, ma doo!

Sae look na' sae lightly on me!