Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/113

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THE POEMS OF BURNS.
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Belyve, the elder bairns come drapping in, At service out, amang the farmers roun';Some ca' the pleugh, some herd, some tentie rin A cannie errand to a neebor town:Their eldest hope, their Jenny, woman-grown, In youthfu' bloom-love sparkling in her e'e,Comes hame, perhaps to shew a braw new gown, Or deposite her sair-won penny-fee,To help her parents dear, if they in hardship be.
With joy unfeign'd brothers and sisters meet, An' each for other's weelfare kindly spiers:The social hours, swift-wing'd, unnotic'd fleet; Each tells the uncos that he sees or hears;The parents, partial, eye their hopeful years; Anticipation forward points the view.The mother, wi' her needle an' her sheers, Gars auld claes look amaist as weel's the new;The father mixes a' wi' admonition due.
Their master's an' their mistress's command, The younkers a' are warnèd to obey;An' mind their labours wi' an eydent hand, An' ne'er, tho' out o' sight, to jauk or play:'An' Oh! be sure to fear the Lord alway, An' mind your duty, duly, morn an' night!Lest in temptation's path ye gang astray, Implore His counsel and assisting might:They never sought in vain that sought the Lord aright!'
But hark! a rap comes gently to the door; Jenny, wha kens the meaning o' the same,Tells how a neebor lad came o'er the moor, To do some errands, and convoy her hame.The wily mother sees the conscious flame Sparkle in Jenny's e'e, and flush her cheek;Wi' heart-struck, anxious care, enquires his name, While Jenny hafflins is afraid to speak;Weel-pleased the mother hears, it's nae wild, worthless rake.
Wi' kindly welcome, Jenny brings him ben; A strappan youth; he takes the mother's eye;Blythe Jenny sees the visit's no ill ta'en; The father cracks of horses, pleughs, and kye.The youngster's artless heart o'erflows wi' joy, But blate an' laithfu', scarce can weel behave;The mother, wi' a woman's wiles, can spy What makes the youth sae bashfu' an' sae grave;Weel-pleas'd to think her bairn's respected like the lave.
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