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WEST COUNTRY SONGS
MARK GUY PEARSE
L O N D O N
HORACE M AR SHALL 8c S ON
1 90 2
( to
AND MRS F . W. LAWRENCE
THE MASCOTTE , HOLMWOOD
SURREY
P R E FAC E
THE characterist ics of Cornwall and the Cornish are rapidly
passing away. More than a hundred years ago its language
died . Now its dialect is dying. I t i s useless to deplore it,
for it i s inevi table . The Celt,in England at any rate
,i s
doomed to be absorbed by the Saxon . To us Cornishmen,
who love so passionately the county that is our own,
there comes a heartache as we think of the Cornwall of our
fathers lost.
Moved by such a feeling I have sought to recall the Cornwal l
that I knew, and that I love with a love that grows w ith the
years . I have tried to recall something of its humour,for
the Western Celt carries ever a great laugh in his heart '
something of its pathos, for its humour lies hard by the
fountain of tears ' its quaintness, something too of itsv ii
v i i i PREFACE
rel igion 'and, by no means least, i ts love, for that is the
music of their li fe .
I have not attempted to reproduce its dialect . Phonetic
spelling is to most of us an irritating puzzl e . I have been
content rather to indicate than im itate it.
So in the hope that to Corn ishmen the w ide world over
this l ittle book may rev ive sweet memories and treasured
associations of the dear old home,I venture to send forth
these songs of the West Country.
CONTENTS
CORNWALLA CORN I SH WEDD I NG DAVVECHAN
’
S B IRTHDAYTHE GRANDMOTHERA CRADLE SONGTHE LOCAL PREACHERTHE STORY OF TH E YELLOW HAMMERA PORTRA ITA SONG—“ O WIND FROM OUT OF TH E WESTA SONG—“ I MET LOVE ONE DAV
A SONG—“MY LOVE Is COM I NG FROM OVER THE SEAA L I ’LL SUMA DAY ON TH E TAMARIS F I SH I NG CRU EL ?THE M I N ER I N FORE I GN PARTS —CAL I FORN IA
AUSTRAL IAKLONDYKE
FATH ER E ARTHA F I SH ERMAN ’S SONG—“ I
’
M S ITT I N ’ I N M Y L ITTLE BOAT
J EHOSAPHAT RowA GENTLEMAN—FOR A T I M E .
THE “ MOSE S D UNN”
A CHRISSYMAS DAY
CONTENTS
THE LAMENTTHE STAR OF BETHLEHEMA HOMELY COUNSEL ON CAREA F I SH ERMAN ’S SONG—“WHAT L ITTLEMA ID ”
TH E HOPELESS DAWNA REQU I EMYET AB IDETH LOVETHE NEW YEAR
L I ST OF I LLUSTRAT ION
A HOPELESS DAWNBy Frank B ram ley , A.R .A.
No CL I FFS L IKE THOS E THAT G UARD THE WESTERNSHORE
By Mark Guy PearseS LEEP
,MY L ITTLE ONE, SLEEPBy F . Mabe l le Pea rse
THEY WAS DOWN ’
I'ON MEVAG I SSEY QUAYBy J . Ley Pethybridge
A DAY ON TH E TAMARBy J . Ley Pethybridge
Is F I S H I NG CRU EL ?By S . A . P raeger
“ SH E BROUGHT I T I NTO THE L IGHTBy N . Denho lm Dav is
WITH I N A GARDEN , BY HER COTTAGE DOOR ,S ITS AN OLD MOTHER KN ITT I NG BUS I LY
By F. Mabel le Pearse
CORNWALL
THOU hardy Mother of a hardy race,
Cornwall, thy hosts of sons are proud“
of thee
Scattered abroad in many a distant place,
Our deep, our stedfast love is true to thee.
We count no skies so fair as those at home
NO cl iffs l ike those that guard the Western shore
We see again the toss ing billows foam,
We see the golden furze about the moor.
We know the valleys sloping to the sea
The wooded sides about the w inding stream 5
The dripp ing mill-wheel with its greenery
Wet sands aglow w ith crimson sunset gleam .
CORNWALL
As doth the eagle,when her young can fly,
Break up the nest that they may know thei r power,
And learn to soar into the utmost sky,
And sweep defiant of the storm and shower,
So dost thou seek to make thy children brave
The engine-house is s i lent on the h i ll
The rubbish-heaps are grass-grown as the grave'
The kibble thrown aside,the chains are still
And now wherever hide the veins of ore,
There toil thy sons w ith brain and skilful hands
From Spain and Africa to Chi li’s shore
They give the world the wealth of far- off lands .
The lonely dweller ’m id the c ity’s host,
Where no man greets h i s brother in the way,
Thrills w ith new life in Vision of the coast
Where the wi ld billows break in showers of spray.
NO C l iffs l ike those that gua rd the wes tern sho re .
CORNWALL
Amid the hard and grasping ways of l ife
Comes a sweet breath as Of some better clime,
A holy spell that calms the fevered strife ,
In thought of those who fi l l that happier t ime.
Though scattered wide throughout the busy earth ,
NO matter where the Cornishman may be,
We love and bless the country Of our birth '
Our Mother,One and All are proud of Thee.
A CORN I SH WEDD I NG DAY
Aw,Vechan , here
’s your finery
And dresses all so gay'
They’re praising up the looks of ’
cc ,
So sweet as flowers in May
And your man, so brave and proud of ’ee,
I s com in’ on his way 3
But your Mammy, poor Old Mammy,
She don’t know what to say.
I can m ind ’ee all so little,
A-curled up at my breast'
I can mind the first sweet smile of ’ee,
A-lyin’ in your nest'
A CORNISH WEDDING DAY
I can feel the little hand 0’ ’cc ,
Against my neck at rest 5
And to have ’ee and to hold ’
ee,
No heaven was so blest.
I can see ’ee comin’ home long
Through the winter rain and sleet 5
I take ’ee
’pon my lap again
And warm your little feet 5
And the times when you was poorly
I can feel your li ttle head 5
You could sleep on Mammy’s bosom
When you couldn’t rest in bed.
In your little bi ts 0’ troubles
And your little bits 0’ fears,
When the blessed l ittle eyes of ’ee
Was swimm in’ with their tears,
A CORNISH WEDDING DAY
I can m ind how Mammy’s hand
Would charm them all away,
An’ the blessed l ittle eyes 0’ ’ee
Was Shinin’ l ike the day.
My Vechan , l ittle Vechan ,
I ’ve a-had ’ee all your days 5
I’ve a-watched ’ee goin’ and com in ’,
I ’ve got used to all your ways 5
I ’ve thought of ’c c and tended ’
ee,
And made ’ee all my care .
Aw, dear, i t w i ll be lonely
When my Vechan i sn’t there .
I can hear the bells a- ringing
For the j oyful wedding-day
There was never no such weddin
SO the Oldest folks do say.
A CORNISH WEDDING DAY
And there, I must not keep’ee,
You must go along your way 5
But your Mammy,poor Old Mammy
,
She don’t know what to say.
God send ’
cc , my own Yechan ,
A little one to be
Such comfort and such blessing
As you have been to me.
So brave and true as he is ,
SO honest and so w ise 5
SO beautiful as you are,
And wi th your own dear eyes.
VECHAN’
S B I RTHDAY
Aw,Yechan
,
’ti s your birthday 5
I ’m longin’ for ’ee, dear 5
To think the place is full of ’ee,
And yet you are not here 5
To think how plain I see ’ee,
And hear ’ee all the day
But when I go to speak to ’ee,
To find you are away
I t seems so short a time ago
I had ’ee at my breast 5
I sang my little songs to ’
cc
And hushed ’ee Off to rest 5
VECHAN’
S BIRTHDAY
And then I set ’ee in your bed
And watched your eyes go home ,
For there was bak in’ to be done
And washin’ up the cloam .
'
But aw, my Yechan darl ing,
Your Mammy thinks to day
I f once she had ’ee in her arms
The world m ight go its way
I f once she had ’ee back again
She’d be afra id to stir,
Lest she should turn and look for ’ee
And find you wasn’t there.
Aw, Vechan , Yechan , darl ing,
There’s t imes come back to me,
When Mammy she was busy
And spoke ou t sharp to ’ee 5
earthenwa re .
VECHAN’S BIRTHDAY I I
I see again those tearful eyes ,
I hear the qu iver ing sigh,
And l ike a ghost i t haunts my
My l ittle Vechan ’s cry
Aw,could I but go back again
And have ’ee here with me,
What tenderness,my awn dear ma id ,
What love I’d br ing to ’ee 5
What joy I’d count it if I could
By look,and words, and ways,
Wi th song and sunsh ine fi ll your soul,
W ith sweetness fill your days .
My arms are tight about ’ee,
As I dream of ’ee by night '
And when I wake w ithout ’ee,
I start up in a fr ight.
VECHAN’
S BIRTHDAY
And scores of t imes,my awn dear
I can’t tell how I hear
I wake myself w ith calling ’ee,
“Aw , Vet/Ian , Vet/2a”, dear'”
There’s t imes that I remember
How I w ish they ’d come aga in 1
When I’d got’ee wrapped against me,
All sheltered from the ra in 5
The basket i t was heavy
As I went along the road,
And your Mammy’s arms was achin’,
For you was a t idy load .
I ’d go that way al l gladly,
And count that heaven was here,
I f I could ache l ike that again,
W ith that sweet load , my dear 5
VECHAN’
S BIRTHDAY I 3
For though I ’m b id in’ qu iet
Bes ide the cottage door,
Your Mammy’s heart is ach in’,
The empt iness weighs more.
But’t is a shame
,my Vechan ,
Your Mammy should be sad .
I think of him who loves ’ee well ,
And then my heart is glad 5
And then my soul doth bless the Lord,
That when your Mammy’s gone,
The love Of his brave heart will hold
My Yechan for h is awn .
TH E GRANDMOTH ER
Aw , Yechan, my awn, let me s it by your side,
With the baby asleep on my knee.’Tis j ust l ike as if my awn little maid
Had come back once more to me 5
I don’t feel a bit like a granny, my dear
I t is al l as it used to be .
I can feel ’ee again so close to my s ide
On earth there was nothing so blest 5
I can feel the sweet breath of my awn little maid,
As I fold ’ee again to my breast '
And the gladness of tending ’ee all day and n ight
Was better to me than my rest.
THE GRANDMOTHER
’Twas strange to th ink that I held in my arms
,
What the gold of the world could not buy'
And for j oy of bavin’ my awn little maid
My heart was a laugh and a cry .
I used for to th ink that the angels of God
Came crowd in ’ from heaven to see
That sweet little face as you lay in my arms,
Or was lyin’ asleep on my knee '
And I thought that there never was one Of them
But would l ike to change places with me.
I mind how I slept though the winter winds howled,
And the thunder crashed in the sky 5’Twas nothing to me, all the roll of the streets
When the waggons went rum blin ’by
But,Yechan
,your Mammy was up w ith a start
At the first l ittle sound of a cry.
THE GRANDMOTHER 1 7
Do ’
ee look at the dear l ittle face of her now’Tis the image of how you once lay 5
And, Vechan , she’ve got your very awn eyes,
And just your awn pretty way.
Aw,Yechan
,my Yechan , the good Lord be praised
That I ’ve l ived for to see this day.
A CRADLE SONG
SLEEP, my l ittle one, sleep .
A cradle Of pure gold I have made,
Of Oph ir gold,
Shaped as was shaped the ark Of Old
Where Moses was laid
Set with pearls and rub ies afiam e,
And precious stones of every name.
I t is fashioned ou t of my heart’s true love,
The yearning and burning and learning of love
Sleep, my little one, sleep .
Sleep,my little one, sleep .
I have fi tted with softest down thy bed
S leep , m y l i t t le one , s leep .
’
A CRADLE SONG I 9
An angel’s wing
Y ielded for thee this Offering,
For thy dear head.
Lay thee down,—may thy dreams be sweet .
God H imself guard thee from head to feet.
Thy bed i s w ith in thy mother’s breast.
At rest and all blest in thy mother’s breast,
Sleep,my l ittle one , sleep.
Sleep, my l ittle one, sleep.
I have woven a dainty gown for thee,
Dainty and wh ite.
I t is made of the morning’s l ight
And is fair to see
In every thread i s wrought a charm
To hold thee safe from ev i l and harm .
I t i s fash ioned out of my even ing prayer,
My care that goes forth in an eager prayer.
Sleep, my l ittle one , sleep .
A CRADLE SONG
Sleep, my l ittle one, sleep .
I wrap thee round in a coverlet,
F ines t of s i lk ,
Red as the rose and white as the m i lk
And on it is set,
The story tapestried all fair,
Of angels descend ing the golden stair ,
I t is fashioned out of my heart’s true love,
The bliss and the k iss of my true love .
Sleep , my l ittle one, sleep.
2 2 THE LOCAL PREACHER
The Sexton came up , and the Squire told
Aw,your honour, I
’ve heerd ’em say,
That Miller Penrose goeth forth to preach
’Most every Sabbath Day.
And seem in’ to me ’tis a terrible thing
For he to go on that way.
Ti s bad enough to s tay home from church,
But ’tis dreadful, seem in’ to me,
For a man like that to preach to folks
A ignorant owl l ike he ,
As never had no larn in’ at all 5
Such things ought not for to be .
Indeed,
” says the Squ ire,a-look in ’ black,
“The Miller a preacher is he l ”
Iss fy, your honour,’ti s true enough,
And I hope your honour w ill see,
And put a stop to such ghastly ways 5’Tis terr ible
,seem in
’ to me .
THE LOCAL PREACHER 2 3
But now you must not go for to think
The Squire was that il l-bred
That he wanted the world to hold its tongue’Till it ’greed with what he said,
And counted the narrow way was just
To follow where he led .
A gentleman born his honour was'
You might search the country round,
And a k inder- hearted man for sure,
There wasn’t above the ground
A fairer and squarer than Squire Tolcarne
There was not to be found .
But the words of the Sexton haunted en
Penrose a preacher ” says he,
And it seemed to the Squ ire a serious th ing
That an ignorant man l ike he
Should set h isself up for to tell the folks
What the way to heaven might be.
THE LOCAL PREACHER
It wasn’t long before Miller Penrose
Come up to the Squire’s place 5
He’d finished the talk he’d come about
When he seed by Squire’s face
That something he’d done—he didn’t know what
Had brought a bit 0’ disgrace .
Then the Squire he shut the Office door 5“ Penrose,
” the Squire began,
I’m amazed to hear that the Brian ites
Have pu t your name on the plan .
Now really, you know, you must admit
You’re a terr ibly ignorant man .
”
Aw,terrible, iss, your honour, that
’s true,
I f I don’t knaw naw then beside,
I do knaw I don’t knaw naw then , sir
I wish i t could be den ied.
I can’t make out them larned books
Though fine and often I ’ve tried .
”
THE LOCAL PREACHER 2 5
Well,well
,now Miller
,if that i s so,
I really am bound to say,
It’s an awful th ing for you to try
To teach other folks the way.
Think what a solemn thing it would be
If you led a soul astray .
Well,Squire
,forgive me
,I ’ve thought of that,
And there never passes a day
But with all my soul and strength I lift
My heart to God and pray
That He will give me His heavenly grace
For to teach me what to say.
”
I t chanced that the map Of the Squire’s estate
Lay there on the table spread
The fields and woods all painted green,
The houses a staring red 5
And there was marked each road and path,
And the places where they led.
26 THE LOCAL PREACHER
Then a b i t of a twinkle shone in his eye
As the Miller turned around,
That the map of your estate,is i t
,sir?
You knaw it well, I’ll be bound 5
Of course, you’re us ing it constantly
,
And got to go over the ground.
”
Of course, of course, I know it by heart,
Says the Squ ire. The Miller says he,
You do knaw each road and waterway,
And where each path may be ?”
Of course,of course
,
” the Squire replied,
I know it all perfectly.
”
Now, excuse me, Squire, I knaw you’re one
To give a man fair play.
Can you mind when you was down to the mill
’Twas only the other day
You asked l ittle Mary to come with you
And show your honour the way ?
THE LOCAL PREACHER 2 7
Oh, yes, said the Squire, she showed me the
That turns in there by the gate 5
I was Very much obliged to her,
I t led to the highway straight 5
And but for the service she rendered me
I should have gone home late .
”
Well,now ,
your honour,
’tis l ike th i s here
Or so it seems to me
Little Mary would hardly knaw the name
Of what a map m ight be 5
And certainly would not knaw ’pon the map
The place where she lives,you see.
My Mary i sn’t a scholar,I ’m ’fraid,
But excuse me if I say
That she was able to show you , sir,
The place where the footpath lay
’Cause your honour knew i t on the map,
B u t s ize w a lks in i t m a y day .
THE LOCAL PREACHER
So,your honour
,if I don’t knaw the map
So well as some folks may,
I do thank God I knaw one thing
That He has shown me the way'
And I trust by His grace I ’ve found ou t how
To walk in it every day .
”
So the days went by. The Squire he watched
And saw that the Mil ler was true,
And he heard of many a kindly deed
That the Miller used to do'
And how, when a bit of trouble came,
He would help a ne ighbour through.
And it chanced one day the Squ ire fell ill,
The Doctor sat by h i s bed
Now, Doctor, tell me just how i t stands 5
Am I going to die ? he said.
I want you to tell me how it will go .
But the Doctor shook h i s head .
HF STORY OF TH E YELLOW
HAMMER
’TwAs Uncle Jan, a queer Old chap,
Who knew the ways of things 5
One half a w itch, the people said ,
Could charm your warts and stings .
Could tell ’ee all about the time
When maidens should be wed'
And passles of the strangest th ings,
By planets overhead.
The sounds Of beasts and insects’ buzz
He seemed to understand 5
He wh istled and the crowd ing birds
Would feed ou t of his hand .
THE STORY OF THE YELLOW HAMMER 3 1
He used to wander through the woods,
And all the n ight would l ie,
And watch the stars and things he loved
He wouldn’t hurt a fly.
His eyes and all the touch of en ,
They had a kind Of spell 5
And all us ch i ldren loved en dear,
He had such tales to tell .
I t was one summer’s evening
We sat beneath a tree,
And on the rail there perched a bird,
Aw, my dear life '” says he
,
Can ’ee hear his song
,my darlings ?
Six notes just all the same
And then that long-drawn sorrow 5—A gladdy i s h is name .
3 2 THE STORY OF THE YELLOW HAMMER
Can ’
cc see h is golden feathers
That trick en ou t so gay ?
Can ’cc hear his note so plaint ive ?
I knaw what he do say.
Once ’
pon a time,’twas long ago
,
He used to be a lark 5
Went soaring right up to the sun ,
An d sang from dawn to dark .
But then there came a spirit il l'
A wicked lie he told
You’re such a poor old homely thing
You should be dressed in gold .
’
Sell me your song, my dear,’ says he
,
‘ And I will make ’ee gay 5
You sha’n’t go out in suit 0’ brown,
But decked so bright as day.
’
THE STORY OF THE YELLOW HAMMER 3 3
This evi l sp irit offered en
Gold for his breast and w ings 5
Th is here is yours if you’l l give me
The soul that soars and s ings .
All dressed up in a golden suit
They won’t think you’re the same 5
And s ince the folks won’t know ’
ee’t all
,
I ’ll g ive ’ee a new name. ’
And so the bargain it was struck 5
He did as he was told 5
And thought hisself a gentlem an
Al l decked out in h is gold .
But,my dear l ife, h is heart is broke
For what he used to be,
When he went soaring to the sun
And sang so joyfully .
C
3 4 THE STORY OF THE YELLOW HAMMER
And now he fl ies from hedge to hedge
Hark to h i s plaint ive cry
In place of song and soaring ’tis
What a—poor—rich—thing—am—I
What a poor rich th ing am I .
A PORTRA I T
SO he stood, a man among us
He the fearless, he the friendly'
He whose genius was in service'
More than king because a brother 5
More than conqueror in his love .
’Twas away ou t on the Moorland
That we found h is fi ttest image
Rose a solid mass of granite,
All aglow w ith hues of sunset,
Robed as if in richest purple,
Crowned as if with purest gold 5
3 6 A PORTRAIT
Softened was it by the mosses,
Softened by the patch of lichen 5
H igh above it rang the lark’s song 5
And around it flew the swallow '
And about it clung the ivy 5
And within the cleft a flower bell
Found a home and nourishment'
Deeper in its heart a wild bird
Had her brood all snugly sheltered,
Safely hidden in the nest.
SO he stood ' a man among us .
Sol id,settled
,made of gran ite
,
Yet aglow with summer sunshine.
H is the beauty and the sweetness
Of a gentleness unfail ing 5
Trusty, tender 5 deep within him
A great love whose j oy was service,
Love that was a strength and refuge.
A SONG
O WIND from ou t of the West,
Thou art singing the song of the blest 5
At the break of the day
Thou wert coming her way,
Thou hast seen her,compassed her
,heard her
0 w ind from ou t Of the West.
0 wind from ou t of the North,
Thou art wings to me sweeping me forth'
Like the seas in the spray
Thou dost bear me away'
Thou art w ings that to her do bear me away,
0 wind from out Of the North .
3 8
A SONG 3 9
0 w ind from ou t of the East,
Though the gold of the sunshine has ceased,
Here is charm, here is spell,
Here are sweet th ings to tell,
Find her,and sing to her things that I tell,
0 wind from ou t Of the East .
0 wind from out of the South ,
Thou art very breath of her mouth'
Her spirit thou bringest,
Her sweet note thou singest,
Thy tenderness hers,her sp irit thou bringest,
0 wind from ou t of the South .
A SONG
I MET Love one day,
A-go ing on his way,
A light in h is eyes,
And his laugh it was gay 5
His locks were all trim,
His wings were al l prim,
A glow on his cheek
And rounded each limb 5
A voice like a flute,
Attuned to his lute 5
He danced on his way,
As he sang of his suit.
A SONG 4 1
I met Love again,
His face was in pain 5
The lute i t was silent 5
The string snapped in twain .
H is eye it was dim,
H is mouth it was grim,
All hollow h is cheek,
And wasted each l imb .
What ails you ?” I said.
Then Love shook his head,
I t is more than a month
Since poor Love was fed .
”
A SONG
MY love is coming from over the sea,
Over the sea'
A thousand things I ’ve got for to tell her,
Merrily,merrily 5
A thousand things I’ve got for to give her,
Tenderly,tenderly.
My love i s a-come from over the sea,
Over the sea 5
But the holy hush of the j oy is mine,
Silently, silently,
I can only feel that my love is here,
Here by me, here by me.
A SONG 43
My love, my love from over the sea,
Over the sea 5
I’ve nothing to say and nothing to give
Unto thee, unto thee'
Words are so empty and gifts so poor,
Here with thee, here with thee.
A L I’
LL S UM
THERE was Jim Treglown , a brave chap was he
As ever shot pilchard nets ou t to sea .
He could tell ’ee clean Off what oug/zt to be,
Could Jimmie Treglown .
And ’twas Pedder Polsue from Plymouth way
He was always ready to have his say.
I am more than a match for Jim any day,
Says Pedder Polsue.
They was down ’pon Mevagissey Quay,
A passle of chaps, when Pedder says he,
Now, Jimmie, my son, here’s a sum for thee
,
Says Pedder Polsue.
A LI ’LL SUM 4 5
“ I ’ll give ’ee two minutes to do it
,come
’Tis a fine and easy l ittle sum,
And ’tisn
’t a failin ’ o’ yours to be dumb
,
Says Pedder Polsue.
A chap took three herrin’s out of a cask,
Three ha’pen ce,’ says he,
‘ i s the charge I ask .
’
How much for a shi lli ng? and that’s the task ,”
Says Pedder Polsue.
Tis Devon ’gainst Cornwall, so now fair play,
Two m inutes I ’ll give ’
ee, so hurry away 5
Lev u s gone for to see who’l l win the day
,
Says Pedder Polsue.
Now Jimm ie Treglown he scratched his head,
Don’t let en beat ’ee,
” the Cornishman said.
Poor J imm ie,the face of h im turned qui te red
,
D id Jimm ie Treglown .
46 A LI’LL SUM
Two m inutes is up and Jimm ie don’t knaw
,
Says Pedder Polsue. Says the Cornishman AW 1
And Jimmie Treglown scratched his head, and“ Law 1
Says J imm ie Treglown .
And Pedder Polsu e he laughed with glee,
’Tis a half-penny each,and don’t you see
That’s eighteen for a shill ing,seem in
’ to me,
Says Pedder Polsue.
Then Jimmie turned round,Was it ker rz
'
ngs you said ?
I know that O’ izern'
ngs , of course, but instead
Of herrings ’twas pz'
lcfiards I got in my head ,
Says Jimm ie Treglown .
A DAY ON THE TAMAR
GOOD Mr Ford a fi sher was
Who loved to catch the trout 5
With Mr Bridge, on Tamar
’s bank,
He came to pull them out .
The Dartmoor streams he knew full well,
And whipped the pools with v igour,
But though he’d taken many a score,
He longed to take a bigger.
Said Mr Ford Yes, Dartmoor’s good
,
I don’t wish to defame her,
But there the fi sh are very shy
Wh i lst here the trout are Tamar .
A DAY ON THE TAMAR
Together thus they worked away 5
But did not get a rise,
Except indeed the blisterings
Of gnats and st inging fl ies .
At lazy noon they sought the shade
And sat at their repast.
Said Mr Ford to Mr Bridge
“We’ve got a bite at last
Said Mr Bridge to Mr Ford
We must try something new,
Come let us make the claret fly,
Set off with smoky blue .
”
Said Mr Ford to Mr Bridge
I haven’t seen a fin,
I th ink I ’l l find another top
And see if I can spin .
”
A DAY ON THE TAMAR
Those ladies who l ike piercing eyes
This may suit and all such 5
TO my mind this drop-fly of yours
Had had a drop too much.
”
Cried Mr Ford to Mr Bridge
I f once of th is you’re rid
I vow I never will again
Try fi shing on that Lyd.
Now not far off the river’s brink
The doctor hurried by,
And pulling ou t his lancet sharp
He soon unhooked that eye .
Then spake the doctor solemnly,
NO m ischief I descry,
This casting l ine,it n /zt have left
A sad cast in his eye.”
A DAY ON THE TAMAR 5 1
Oh dear,” cried Mr Ford distrest,
That hook i s in me still,
Though Mr Bridge has lost his pain
I really feel quite ill .”
But Mr Bridge, he laughed aloud,“ Don’t blame your want of art'
’Twas all that showy fly of yours 5
I felt it very smart .
I S F I SH I NG CRUEL P
THE other day by Tamar’s banks
We two sat down and lunched
There came a roguish youngster by
And watched us as we munched 5
His waders and h is rod and creel
Proclaimed the fisher lad
In friendliness we turned and asked
What sort of sport he’d had .
How many fi sh ? he answer made 5
An easy thing to ask,
IS FISHING CRUEL? 5 3
Bu t if you’d count the fi sh I ’ve caught
I t is a stifli sh task.
”
The youth pu t on a solemn look,
Pray,listen , sirs,
” he said 5
I grieve to say I’ve caught si' fish,
But s ix without a head
I need not tell you , gentlemen ,
Their fate I much bewai l
But what is qu ite as bad to tell ,
I ’ve nine w ithout a tail .”
Without a head '” my friend repl ied 5
Without a tail cried I .
Pray let us see.” The youngster said
You shall see by-and-bye.
But kindly wait a l ittle while
The youngster heaved a s igh,
Alack , dear sirs, ten fish I ’ve caught,
IS FISHING CRUEL?
But ten without an eye
I’ve not done yet,” the youth went on ,
Most horrible to view,
Besides all these I ’ve caught eight more,
But eight all cut in two
Our heads, they drooped ' Our lunch, it fell
Untasted from our lips'
Such cruelties had rent our hearts ,
Our hands sunk to our hips .
And this is sport ' Ah, who think so
Might take another view.
Without a head ' W ithout a tai l '
I f t/zey were cut in two
The youth,he laughed and showed h is creel .
Forgive my bit of fun ,
A headless 6, a tailless 9 ,
And I - less I O i s none '
IS FISH ING CRUEL? 5 5
And double none is sti ll the same,
So don’t bewail their fate,
Two nothings is the residue
When cut in two is 8 .
TH E M I NER I N FORE IGN PARTS
CALIFORNIA
Aw my dear life 'well, iss, of course,’Tis very fine
,you’re right,
A hundred miles and more of plains,
And then the mountains’ he ight 5
The valley and the waterfall,
Bes ide the towering tree.
But bless ’ee,
’
tisn’t nothin’, s ir,
To that which I can see.
A stretch of furze bush all ablaze,
An other stretch of fern 5
A patch Of purple heather bloom,
And then you take a turn 5
IN FOREIGN PARTS— CALIFORNIA 5 7
You pass great piles of rubbish heaps,
You pass a bal that’s knacked 5
And then a whitewashed cottage peeps
From where the corn is stacked .
I see the garden through the gate,
I hear the hum of bees,
The butterfl ies are everywhere,
The b irds sing in the trees.
The flowers— that’s the sort I love,
Sweet Williams pink and red,
The boy’s- love grows bes ide the door 5
The jessamine’s overhead 5
The fuchs ia blooms most all the year,
The happy roses creep
About the w indow of the place,
Where my dear maid do sl eep 5'
A m ine abandoned .
5 8 IN FOREIGN PARTS—CALIFORNIA
To think they greet her at the dawn,
To th ink that their sweet bloom
Should breathe about my awn,my awn ,
And fill that l ittle room
I see her standing at the gate
When milking t ime is done 5
And all the sea and sky is red
With setting of the sun 5
The golden glory of it all
I s shin ing in her hair.
The flowers at her bosom
Are not more sweet or fair.
Aw, my dear l ife, I tell’
ee what,
When I do think of she
Your gold is but a l ittle thing
The only gold for me
IN FOREIGN PARTS—CALIFORNIA 5 9
Is just enough to make a ring,
To tell the world she’s mine 5
And diamonds—I’d rather see
Her blessed eyes ashine.
The glory of your scenery
Sinks all into the shade
Beside the thought of her I love,
My awn sweet little maid.
How poor a thing it seems to me
TO be a m i llionaire,
Beside a kiss from those dear l ips,
My l ittle maid so fair'”
TH E M I NER I N FORE IGN PARTS
AUSTRALIA
ZACKY, my boy, come here and sit down ,
Lev u s touch a p ipe for a bit 5
The heat is enough to k i l l a chap
Down there in the s tiffl in ’ p it'
Come under the shade of the b ig gum- tree
’Tis a purty place for to sit.
Had any news from home,have ’
ee,then ?
A paper you used to receive .
”
And Zacky was stil l for a brave long time,
Then he gave a s igh and a heave '
I ha’n’t heard now for ever so long,
But ’tis my fault, I believe .
62 IN FOREIGN PARTS—AUSTRALIA
Twas a dream I had—’twill do ’ee good
For to hear what I’ve got to say
For all I do feel a bit ashamed,
I ’m feelin ’ better to-day
And you know, comrade, how easy it is
To forget when folks is away .
Well, you m ind the little place at home,
There’s j ust a bit of a lane
Going down from the road,the left-hand s ide,
I could see it all so plain .
And mother, she stood in the cottage door,
And her face was full of pain.
The garden was all in sun and shade,
’Twas such a beautiful day'
The lark sung up in the blue,b lue sky'
I could smell the scent of the hay 5
And the postman was comin’ down the lane,
A-hurryin’
on his way.
She brought it in to the l ight .
IN FOREIGN PARTS—AUSTRALIA 63
And mother,she l ifted up her face
,
And waited till he come near 5
But he went on . There’s nothing for you .
I’m sorry,Mrs Tregeare,
’
For he saw the grief that filled her eyes
God bless ’e
'
e, mother dear.
And then she went into the little room,
And she stood by the fireplace
Her hair ’s turned grey , and the lines gone deep
Since last I saw her face.
And then she l ifted her hand and took
A photograph ou t Of a case.
’Twas a thing that I sent her years ago,
And she brought it into the light 5
She looked at it w ith a bitten l ip,
And I saw that her face was white,
And she sighed as she kissed it tenderly,
I wonder zf lze’
s a ll rig/Zr
64 IN FOREIGN PARTS—AUSTRALIA
So I wrote to mother yesterday,
And Zacky wiped off a tear,
And sent her a present,a lum pin
’ sum,
That will keep her half a year,
And I ’m go ing to write her again next mail
God bless ’ee, mother dear
TH E M I NER I N FORE IGN PARTS
KLONDYKE
FLING a log on the hearth , will’ee, Jack ie, my dear,
’Tis terrible cold . Thank ’ee 5 come over here.
Comrade,what was it the doctor said ?
I fancy I heard it ,“ So good a s dead
Comrade, come nearer and give me your hand
’Tis lonely to d ie in this far-off land .
’Twill be lonely for you when I am not here 5
We have stood by each other for many a year.
You’ve been always the same to me —more than a brother 5
And,Jack
,I been thinkin ’ that, somehow or other ,
65
66 IN FOREIGN PARTS—KLONDYKE
I ’ll tel l Them above that I want to go back
Now and then to do a good turn for old Jack .
I’l l tell Them about ’ee 5 I warran t they
’ll set
Theirselves for to help to pay Off my debt.
But now you must go, there’s things for to do
What, going to stay by me Well,that is l ike
i t
Been asleep,have I
,Jack ? I S’pose ’twas a dream '
I was back home again'and i t really d id seem
As if I was only a child of three,
And kneeled at my prayers by mother’s knee.
I saw her sweet face,felt her hand on my head,
As I kneeled by the fire all ready for bed,
With clasped hands and closed eyes,so plainly I heard
Her voice through i t all—I can mind every word .
And I felt in my soul as i f once again
Undressed for the n ight as I used to be then
And mother she came and put ou t the l ight,
And sang of the angels who watch through the n ight.
68 IN FOREIGN PARTS—KLONDYKE
What was i t you asked me ? What had I said
Well , comrade, I’ll tell ’
ee. Come here by the bed.
’Tis strange the new thoughts that have come over
me
Wh i lst lying here quiet. I’ve come for to see
The th ings that puzzled me grown all so clear,
The clouds are all scattered,the stars do appear.
They revivals at home used to g ive me a fright,
As if sav ing your soul was a terrible fight,
A-sweatin’ and groan in
’ for n ights and for days,
A hell of despair, then a heaven of praise .
Well, p
’raps they was right 5 but seem ing to me
’T i s the hand of the ch i ld that do carry the key.
I am sure as I stood and knocked at the door
One sa id from w ithin , “B e a e/zz'
ld once m ore.
”
God used for to speak in dreams of the n ight
Well,I tell ’
ee,’twas all so clear as the l ight .
IN FOREIGN PARTS— KLONDYKE 69
I saw myself lying a child,j ust new born 5
A poor little helpless thing,forlorn 5
Above me the empty stretch of sky 5
About me the moors where none went by 5
SO lonely,so helpless , so l ittle, so weak,
All want,knowin
’ nothing, unable to speak.
Then came in an instant— I don’t know from where
My mother— she took me with tenderest care .
Oh,the warmth Of her bosom The sweet and snug rest '
And she laughed in her joy as I lay at her breast .
So little, and yet because little so dear 5
My need was my claim , and held her more near
No heaven was sweeter than hers day and n ight
A service where serv ice was lost in delight .
Then,Jack ie
,my comrade
,I stirred and I woke,
And I can’t but believe ’twas the Sav iour who spoke
T/ze love t/za t greez‘ed l
‘
ny eonzzng f/zen
's t/ze love tna t w a l l s to greet fil ee aga in .
70 IN FOREIGN PARTS—KLONDYKE
Fl ing a log on the hearth,Jack
,
’t is terrible cold .
Dear comrade,will ’ee g ive me your hand for to hold .
Go od-bye and God bless ’ee you always was true.
Loo/Ia, jack, can’ee see lzer ? Wily ,
m ot/zen’iz
’
s y ou
FATH ER EARTH
OLD Father Earth was a gr im O ld thing
NO trace of beauty had he 5
Across h i s face ran the furrows deep,
As brown and bare as could be.
Now it chanced one day that a tiny seed
Went driven along that way'
A t iny seed in a great big world,
On a shivering Winter’s day.
This Old Father Earth, beneath his crust,
A pitiful heart had be'
He whispered ' Little one, come, I pray,
Find rest and refuge with me.”
7 2 FATHER EARTH
The l ittle seed turned,and trembling said
I’m so very small you see,
Wh i lst you stretch away for many a rood 5
I’m afraid you won’t care for me
Not care for thee, l ittle one —Ha,ha '”
And the old brown Earth laughed he 5
I f I am so b ig,the more room there is
In my heart of hearts for thee.
What will you give to me,Father Earth
,
Pray what w i ll you g ive to me ?”
Then the brown Earth folded the seed to himself,
And made answer tenderly '
All that I have I wi ll give to thee,
All that I can be is thine
For thee the very seasons are set
And the very heavens do sh ine.
FATHER EARTH 7 3
What wi ll you do w ith me,Father Earth
,
Pray what will you do with me ?”
I wi ll make thee root and flower and frui t,
And thou shalt be fair to see .
”
Then to rest the little seed sank down
In the love that held it t ight 5
He covered it up, and he tucked it in,
And bade i t a sweet good-night .
So the time slipped by,and Father Earth
Held his treasure faithfully,
Till the seed sent down a tiny root,
And thrust up its head to see.
And day after day the sun it shone,
And gently fell the shower,
Until at last in its stateliness
There stood the perfect flower.
FATHER EARTH
But st ill the fair face is downward bent,
And it whispers tenderly,
Though my head is in heaven,dear old Earth
,
I’m not going away from thee .
And the O ld brown Earth,he laughed aga in
Ah,what hast thou done for me
I was but a clod al l brown and bare,
And now I am part of thee .
A thousandfold hast thou paid me back
The little ’twas mine to give 5
Uplifted, transformed , and crowned in thee,
Thou hast shown me how to live.”
76 THE FISHERMAN ’S SONG
If you was th is here l i’ll boat
And I was but the sky,
Aw, dear, what sunshine you should have
The day should never d ie.
I ’d bring ’ee such a gentle breeze
And fi ll the pretty sail 5
Whichever way you want to go
The w ind should never fail .
I f you was this here li’ll boat
And I was but the sea,
Aw,dear, what lovely fish and things
I ’d bring to gladden ’ee.
What crabs and lobsters you should have
What lovely conger eels,
And now and then a salmon bas s ,
And then some salmon peels.
THE FISHERMAN ’S SONG 7 7
I’d send ’ee Up a hal ibut'
The biggest of the prawn'
And ’pon your b irthday you should have
A pet whale for your awn .
I ’d make the mackerel j ump aboard ,
The pilchard and the hake,
The cod and great big flying fish
Should come up for your sake.
And scores Of pretty mermaidens ,
A-com bin’ O f their hair,
Should bring ’
ee gifts of pearl and shells
TO deck ’ee all so fair.
I’m sittin’ in my li’ll boat 5
The gulls is in the sky 5
Aw,dear, if I was one of they,
I knaw wh ich way I ’d fly.
JEHOSAPHAT ROW
SO n igh to a hedge-hog as man could be,
Was Jehosaphat Row.
The world couldn’t Show
Another like he .
Eyes like a haddock,sticking out of h is head 5
SO th in as a bake 5
A face l ike a gurnard,so long and so red 5
A mouth like a cod,and teeth like a rake.
I f you vexed en so much as the least little bit
He’d ill-wish ’ee w ith j ust a cast of his eye ,
And your pig, or your cow, or something would
A proper O ld toad for the venom he’d spit.
JEHOSAPHAT Row
That she once was a lady,and quite well to do .
Never troubled so much as to do up a shoe,
Had a carriage and pair,
And servants a score
For to open the door,
And a maid just for nothing but do up her hair.
She was poor enough now , and yet here and there
Were Odd bits of finery that made the folks stare.
She went on her way
W ith never so much as a passing good-day,
And if she d id speak
’Twas a snort and a shriek,
And a snap,
Like the teeth of a trap .
Well,one winter’s night— ’twas a terr ible gale
,
Pitch dark and a-pelt ing with wind and with hai l,
And the cold was so cruel
That much as he grudged it Josh needed more fuel,
JEHOSAPHAT Row 8 1
Though the furze and peat and the bundle
st icks
He got i t for nothing,always up to lzz
'
s tricks
Well, he opened the door
To go ou t for some more,
While the beat of the rain swept in on the floor 5
And then as the howl of the storm went by
Jehosaphat started,for there was a cry .
He listened,and plainly he heard it again ,
He lit up his lantern and hurr ied away,
And close by the door— it gave him a turn
All sheltered within a bundle of fern
A poor baby lay,
Wrapped up in a rag,
So cold as a winnard, so wet as a shag.
Josh looked and fairly persp ired w i th fright 5
He scratched his head as he did in a pl ight 5
He took up the baby, set it down by the fire ,
Flung on a whole furze bush , and p iled i t up h igher.
JEHOSAPHAT ROW
Then he hurried away,
And in to Miss Crocker,
—Could not even stay
To lift up the knocker.
Tlzere’
s a may ,
” he cried. Miss Susan arose
With a curl of her lip,and a t i lt of her nose,
And was go ing to crush Josh w ith a snapp i sh reply,
When she stopped,for there was a look in hi s eye
All pity and pleading.
“ Please it wants to be fed .
DO’ee make haste and come, or I’m ’fraid ’twi ll be
deadf’
Then she picked up her shawl, not a moment’s delay
,
And into old Josh’s she hurried away,
Sat down by the fire , the child on her lap,
Took the shawl from her shoulders and made it a wrap .
Josh stood by the chair
With a wondering s tare.
I do thank ’ee for coming, Miss Susan, I knew
You could tell in a minute what we ought for to do .
84 JEHOSAPHAT ROW
While the great fire crackled and scorched w ith its
glow,
And Josh’
s old place seemed a heaven below.
When the neighbours had gone,
Miss Susan stayed on ,
While Josaphat Row
T iptoed to and fro,
Afraid of h is l ife Miss Susan would go .
Then she turned with such grace,
Such l ight in her eyes, and such love in her face,
I ’m sure you must be qui te tired ,” she said
,
I’ll stay by the baby—you get off to bed .
”
Next day when the baby was washed and was
And lay fast asleep in i ts warm little bed,
Miss Susan was gone for an hour or more,
And came back quite laden , there was such a store
JEHOSAPHAT ROW 8 5
Of fine laces and bits Of most dainty apparel 5
Then, rock ing the cradle and singing a carol ,
She sat sn ipping, and stitching, and trimm ing,
tying,
As if for dear life her needle was flying,
Till up on Josh’s O ld table there rose
A pile of the finest of infant i le clothes .
Then Josh came up blushing,
Aw,Miss Susan
,
please,
If there’s anything wanted, do’ee mind takin’ these ?”
There was five golden sovereigns all of a row ,
Miss Susan , she stared with a smile and said , Oh
And she busily bent at her work,and she thought
“What a wonderful change the baby has wrought
Josh watched her a m inute I never did see
Such a change as that wh ich has come over she.
”
Then Josh went to market—later,homeward he came,
The folks hardly knew him—not a b i t like the same .
86 JEHOSAPHAT ROW
Clean- shaven—h i s w ild,shaggy locks were well trimmed 5
In place Of the rags a new suit of clothes 5
Quite a gentleman now from h is head to his toes,
Wh i le he chuckled w ith laughter 5 w ith good humour
brimmed.
But soon came the trouble. Miss Crocker must stay
To see to the baby by n ight and by day,
Or else she must carry the baby away .
But Josh wouldn’t hear Of it Bless en, the dear,
Lev en bide please Miss Crocker, along w i th me here .
And w ith such a tone of entreaty was spoken,
That anything else and his heart would have broken .
I t is awkward, you know, my dear Mr Row
Said Miss Crocker,
“ But,really
,I fear I must go .
Then a brilliant idea came into his head
“Well,I tell ’
ee,Miss Crocker, lev u s gone to be wed .
M i ss Crocker looked down,and she hawed and she
hummed,
With thimble on finger the table she drummed .
A GENTLEMAN— FOR A T IME
As I rode on my way
I t chanced that one day
I came across Neddy Penrose.
His real name, you know,
Was Abedn ego,
Which is not what you would suppose .
’Twas certainly Monday,
But m ight have been Sunday,
He was dr essed in the finest of clothes .
The tall hat was t ipped,
The walking-stick gripped,
A GENTLEMAN—FOR A TIME 89
H i s glossy black coat was on,
And a velvet vest
That he kept for best,
And only for m z'
ttz'
n’ would don 5
His trousers were new
And gorgeous in hue,
And his boots quite brilliantly shone .
Well,well , my friend Ned ,
Are you going to be wed ,
You’re drest ou t so fine ?” said I .
’Tis better than that,”
And Ned took off his hat
And tucked in his blue s ilk tie
I ’m a gen tlem an now
And he made me a bow
A lucky fellow am I .
My boy, don’t ’
cc see,
Out to ’Merikee,
90 A GENTLEMAN—FOR A TIME
Have made a fortune,they say
,
And a letter he’ve writ
That work I ’m to quit
And not do nothing but play 5
And I reckon I shall,
So no more of the Bal,'
I’ll s it in the sun all day.
”
That’s good news indeed ,
And if I’m in need
I will give you a cal l ,” I said .
’Tis good of the lad
TO remember his dad 5
He’s a capital fellow is Fred.
But I must away,
So I wish ’
ee good day”
Good morning, sir,” said Ned .
The m ine.
9 2 A GENTLEMAN—FOR A TIME
Ned stood for a While,
With a shrug and a smi le,
And a dolm l shake of hi s head.
I wou ld if I cou ld,
But ’tis ’
n no good,
I tried it two days,
” laughed Ned .
But a gentleman—Aw I
I ’d have ’ee to kn aw
That a week— and I should be dead .
THE “M OSE S D UN N
15 5 , there she is,— so purty a craft
As ever there could be.
Smart as a lady, safe as a church ,
Stand any amount of sea.
Her name ? Well,iss
,I ’ve thought about that
Somebody said Tfie Unz’
gne,
I don’t know,I ’m sure, what language
’tis,
Lat in,I s’pose, or Greek .
Old Michael do know some French, and so
I ask the meaning of he ,
He said I d idn’t pernoun ce i t right
And called it U -n i—que .
THE “M OSE S D UNN ”
Said he’
d a-seed ’em in foreign parts,
Beasts w ith a great long horn,
And the n ighest he could make of it,
Was a female unicorn.
So I gived that up . But I found the name
In chapel last Sunday night .
The sermon was all about Mordeca i,
I f I mind his name aright'
What was the king to do to the man
That he wanted for to honour ?
Then all of a sudden it come to me,
The name that I’d put upon her .
The very thing, I says to myself,
I’ll take h is name for the craft 5
That king of old put his man ’pon a
And then I sort 0’ laughed 5
96 THE “M OSE S D UNN”
’Twas when we was coming home again
That Moses happened one day
T0 put ou t his nets to have a try
’Twas up there Sunderland way.
A drunken sk ipper come tearing by,
He saw that the nets was there 5
He never so much as turned her head,
But laughed and began to swear 5
Out with his knife and leaned over the
And hacked and hewed with a slash
And every sw ish of the knife I knew
Was leaving a terrible gash.
Pounds worth O f damage the fellow did,
Cursin’ at every stroke 5
And Moses sat there in h is little boat
And never so much as spoke.
THE “M OSE S D UN 9 7
I would have gone for the fellow myself
I f Moses had said the word 5
But the chap went on with his devilry ,
And Moses,he never stirred .
At last he was clear of the nets and gone'
I tell ’ee I could have cried
For to see they nets all spoiled like that
Then Moses come alongs ide 5
He coiled the nets in the stern of the boat,
SO quiet as he could be,
Without so much as an angry word
I never saw none like he .
’Twas two days after, by Sunderland pier
’Twas blow in ’ a hurricane 5
You could scarcely see across the place
For the beat of the spray and rain 5
G
98 THE “M OSE S D UNN ”
But Moses he got a wonderful eye,
The minute that he come near
He saw a craft that had lost her hold
Would be dashed against the pier.
He turned to a fisherman at his side
“That boat will be lost,” says he.
Says the chap, Can ’ee mind who cut your nets ?
Well, that craft belongs to he 5
’Twill serve h im right,a fellow like that
,
So free with his tongue and knife'
And beside, if you’re going to save that boat,
You’l l have for to risk your life .
”
Then Moses sprang in a little boat,
Pulled over the tumbl ing sea,
Right ou t to the craft, and jumped aboard
’Twas someth ing I tell ’ee to see
1 00 THE “M OSE S D UNN ”
To see ’
ee punished for doing en
Such a terr ible bit of spite.
I f your boat had been lost with all her gear,’Twould have served ’
ee perfectly right .”
He saved my boat, and I cut his nets l”
Then he come to Moses Dunn
The face of the skipper was black as night,
But Moses’ shone like the sun .
Here , what do’
ee mean I should like to know ?
They tell me you saved my craf
Says Moses, I ss, 0’ course I did
,
”
And he looked at the man and laughed .
But here, says the man ,“ I can’t make you
DO you know who I am ?” says he,
Do you know that I cut your nets to bits ?”
Says Moses, What’s that to me ?
THE “M OSE S D UNN ”1 0 1
He looked at Moses from head to foot,
“Well,I can’t tell what to say
I cut your nets and you saved my boat,
And I got no money to pay.
What do ’ee call yourself, Moses Dunn ?
I tell ’ee I never knew
That there was l iving Upon the earth
A man that could do like you .
”
Call myself? Well- a Christ ian I s’pose .
I don’t think much of they,”
Says the chap,
“but I ’d be a Christian myself
If I could be one your way.
Here , Moses Dunn , and hi s vo ice it choked ,“Will ’ee please to shake hands with me ?
You’ve saved my boat, bu t I
’ll tell ’ee what
You’ve a-broke my heart,
” says he.
1 0 2 THE “M OSE S D UNN ”
And now a kinder and better man
I don’t th ink the world could show
Than the drunken fellow that cut the nets
That day two years ago.
So that’s the story,and now you see
Why ’tis that I want to honour
The fellow that did so brave a thing,
And the name I’l l put upon her.
The Moses D unn so I ’ll paint it large,
That’s the very name, says I ,
And when I can I ’ll take the chance
Of telling the folks for why.
1 04 A CHRISSYMAS DAY
A new petticoat,
Never cost ’em a groat .
And every maid ,
Young woman,or staid
,
And every wife,
So sure as you’re l ife,
Was a widow that day,
With a crape flyaway,
And bound for to go
To M ichaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
’Twas a wonderful Show,
Through the rain or th e snow,
How far was no matter,
From down to K ilslatter,
And up to Trewartha ,
And down to Polbartha,
A CHRISSYMAS DAY 1 0 5
From Reskadinn ick
And out to Menhinn ick.
There was widow Tremaine,
And neighbour Polblane 5
And O ld Mother Craze
And Nancy Polblaze
Was ou t of the ir bed 5
And blind Betty was led,
And passles of folks that you made sure was dead,’Twas so long s ince you’d see’d ’em , was going down the
street,
SO sprightly as rabbits,so spry ’pon their feet.
From Kehelland, Rosscroggan , Goondurrow and Troon ,
From Trejethan , Cojiggus , and down to Polrune,
There was sure to be one
Before service was done,
For’twas up and go
To M ichaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
1 06 A CHRISSYMAS DAY
3
Now ’twas Old Granny Grey,
So I’ve heard ’em say,
Though reg’lar to Chapel
Was s trict Church to-day.
’Tis all one,” says she ,
You knaw seem in’ to me,
A pett icoat will warm ’ee e'actly the same,
If ’tis church or ’t i s chapel,no matter the name.
An d if they’ve a-got
To get rid of the lot ,
We ought to be wi l ling to g ive ’em a l ift,
And show a good sperit by taking the gift.
SO I feel I must go
To M ichaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
4
But if Granny went she was bound for to find
Somebody or other who would come in to mind
1 08 A CHRISSYMAS DAY
Till his arms they were ach ing,
His back was a-breaking.
“ I must stop for a m inute,says poor little Dick
,
“ I’ll stir ’em again before they can st ick .
”
And then from deep down in the valley below
Came the pea'Of the bells from Michaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
Now Dick had no sooner stepped down on the floor
When up came Bill Qu in trell who lived in ne't door.
Ere come and play marbles, you’re allowed to to-day,
Says Billy. But Dick he says, No, I can’t stay.
Aw, come for one game, twen t take’ee a m inute.
One game then,
” says Dick , making sure he would win it.
The first game Dick lost,
“Well,come then
,one more,
Says Dick,and the games went on till ’twas four,
And then came a wrangle and almost a fight,
And they stopped a bit longer to make it all right,
A CHRISSYMAS DAY 1 09
While the noisy Old j ackdaws was goin’ to and fro
About the grey tower of M ichaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
7
Then all of a sudden came back to Dick’s mind
The thought of the dinner that he’d left behind .
And in at the door
And over the floor
And up on the block
He looked into the crock
Aw what was th is ghastly old thing that he found
That horrible head was go ing slowly around
The stare of those sockets was awful to v iew '
The th ing was alive 'oh, what could he do
Two puddings was gone '
And the th ing hurried on ,
Wh ile that pudding it fled
From the horrible head
A CHRISSYMAS DAY
Poor D ick couldn’t stay,
He must hurry away,
And down he must go
To M ichaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
Now the parson was O ld,and his teeth they was gone
,
And h is eyes they was d im, and he couldn’t get on
In a hurry you see'
For what it might be
That he wrote he couldn’t always make out,
And nobody else knew what ’twas about
And the thoughts of they s inners
Was home with their d inners 5
And w ith petticoats waitin ’
’Twas no good h is pratin’
5
And many was snoring,
While the w ind i t was roaring,
A CHRISSYMAS DAY
And kis g/za s tly old ey es’
pon tke otker is set,
don’t m ake kaste kom e t/za t one w i ll oe ea t'
And that’s all I know
Of Michaelstow,
All on a Chrissym as day.
THE LAMENT
Aw Mother 0’ Moses, what do’ee think ?
The Daughter of Pharaoh is here '
I do want my awn little boy,” says she
My little one so dear.
Aw Mother 0’ Moses, make haste, make haste,
They’ll dress en up so gay,
And learn en all sorts 0’ wonderful things,
And make en a King one day.
Aw Mother 0’ Moses, where are’ee to ?
Here’s such a grand coach and four,
And the Daughter of Pharaoh her awn self
I s knockin’ to the door.
H
1 1 4 THE LAMENT
Aw Mother 0’ Moses,make haste
,
Can ’ee hear what they do say ?
Bring en forth the beautiful little
SO beautiful as day.”
The Mother 0’ Moses sat by the ark
She never once stirred nor spoke,
The cradle was empty, the child was gone
And t/zey sa id ker kear t w as a -kroke.
1 1 6 THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
At length the journey done, they reached a cave,
A lowly home,w ith softest light aglow,
An atmosphere of holy love and charm
And perfect peace, and in its furthest depth
The Mother holding at her breast the Babe.
Then sank the star 'not as the stars are wont,
Not in the l ight it died, but lost in love,
Such love, all comprehensive, wonderful .
A HOMELY COUNSEL ON CARE
A WINDING hill, on either side the hedge
Crowned by the w indshorn trees and bright with flowers 5
A turn,and then the blue expanse Of sea
On either hand,and broken line of coast 5
A step,and there the haven l ies below
,
Shut in by rocks , where wil d waves surge and foam ,
A burst of thunder then a shower of spray.
A rough stone pier with groups of fishermen,
And in its shelter sway the anchored boats,
And nearer, ch i ldren play about the beach .
The blue smoke of the clustered cottages
1 1 8 A HOMELY COUNSEL ON CARE
As a th in ve i l o’erspreads 5 while far and near
Fly the wh ite gulls , or dip w ith mewing cry.
Within a garden by her cottage door
S its an old mother, knitting busily
Hair snowy white beneath a snow-wh ite cap 5
Eyes blue as the blue skies that arch the place'
A face all full of peace and sunny hopes.
A cheery song she sings, a moment stayed
To count the stitches and to set them right,
Then cl ick the needles music to her song.
From her I learned this counsel Upon care.
Don’t you trouble trouble
Till trouble troubles you .
Don’t you look for trouble'
Let trouble look for you .
HOMELY COUNSEL ON CARE 1 1 9
Don’t you borrow sorrow 5
You’ll surely have your share.
He who dreams of sorrow
Wi ll find that sorrow’s there.
Don’t you hurry worry
By worry ing lest i t come.
To flurry is to worry,
T’will miss ’
ee if you’re mum.
If care you’ve got to carry
Wai t till ’t is at the door,
For he who runs to meet it
Takes up the load before.
I f minding w i ll not mend it,
Then better not to mind 5
The best thing is to end it
Just leave it all behind.
1 20 HOMELY COUNSEL ON CARE
Who feareth hath forsaken
The Heavenly Father’s side 5
What He hath undertaken
He surely will provide.
The very birds reprove thee
W ith all their happy song
The very flowers teach thee
That fretting is a wrong.
Cheer Up,
” the sparrow chirpeth,
Thy Father feedeth me 5
Think how much more He careth,
Oh lonely child for thee.”
Fear not,
” the flowers Wh isper,
S ince thus He hath arrayed
The buttercup and dai sy
How can’st thou be afraid .
A F I SH ERMAN ’S SONG
WHAT. do ’
ee say, my l i ttle maid ,
What do ’ee say?
Sing ’
ee someth ing—a b i t of a song?’Tis what I be doing all day long
,
Li’ll maid,l i’ll maid .
I do look Up into the sky,
A stretch of grey,
With a break of b lue just here and there
God compass ’ee with all that’s fair ,
Li’ll maid,l i’ll maid .
I do look out Upon the earth ,
A stretch of green'
A FISHERMAN ’S SONG 1 2 3
Fields and flowers, hedgerows and trees,
Send her a message ’pon every breeze,
Li’ll maid, l i’ll maid.
I do watch the gulls goin’ by,
Flying ashore 5
Tell her how much I do love her the dear,
Tell her how much I do wish she was here,
Li’ll maid, l i
’ll maid .
Up sail now, the t ide is a- turned'
The Wind’s gone west
My love do go with the seas to’ee,
My love do fly ’pon the breeze to ’ee,
Li’ll maid,li’ll maid
,
THE HOPELESS DAWN
TWAS a Friday in August, the last of the month ,
Wi th a sunset so pretty as ever could be,
And a breeze just enough for to fi ll ou t the sails
Can’ee kea r tke r aven a -eroak in t/ze tree 2
My man and my son had a craft of their own
The B eau ty they called her, so proud of the name,
She was called after mother,so both of them said
Tke w ind is gone w es t and tke sky is a fl am e
My son he was wed,and he brought home h is bride 5
For father and me loved the maid as our own
SO sweet as her looks and so clever as good
Tkere’s tke t ry of t/ze ga l ls and tke sea is a m oan
1 26 THE HOPELESS DAWN
The fire was dead and the candle burnt out 5
Day broke with a sea and a sky that was grey 5
But for us two the sun has not risen since then
A wr eck on tkepoin t, did t/zejiskerm an say
A REQU I EM
COME home, thou weary one, come home
To gu ide thee through the gathering night,
From out the w indow sh ines the light,
Come home, thou weary one, come home .
Come in , thrice welcome one, come in
For thee the door is left ajar,
For thee i s ne ither bolt nor bar,
Come in, thrice welcome one, come in.
Lie down,thou weary one, lie down
Thy work is done and thou art blest,
Thy work hath won thee worthy rest,
Lie down,thou weary one, lie down.
i 28 A REQU IEM
Sleep on , beloved one, sleep on
The love that holdeth waneth not,
The love that watcheth changeth not,
Sleep on , beloved one, sleep on .
YET ABIDETH LOVE
Strong hand Whose clasp
Thril ls with its grasp 5
And her heart i s aflam e
As love whispers her name .
Contented she waits
Till the great Temple gates
Are flung wide,
Then forth from the night
Steps the bride,
Forth into the light.
And then shall one say,
Who g iveth th i s woman away
And Death shall upstand,
And set the hand of the bride in the bridegroom ’s
hand .
For love is of God so shall love be
As God’s own Self, immortally.
TH E NEW YEAR
FEAR, facing the new year,
Saith What shall it bring ?
And is dumb,
Dreading the h idden ways .
FAITH, looking upward, saith ,
Good is in everything 5
Let it come.
God ordereth the days .
TH IS is our new year’s bliss
He is mine, and I am His,
All the ways, al l the days
Lead us home .
Let us pray, let us pra ise .
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARYLos Angeles
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