Page:A Treasury of South African Poetry.djvu/66

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40
"RIP VAN WINKLE."

We even trusted one anither—
Or verra near;
To help oorsels ilk helped the tither,
An' didna spier.


An' a' oor doin's, wrang or right,
Have aye fand favour in Thy sight:
Noo I'm a laird an' he's a knight.
But still a drappie
Add to my cup, for I'm no quite
Completely happy.


Thou kenst I'm noo an M.L.C.,
I signed the pledge, an' I agree
The Bible reprobates a lee;
But after a',
Sic a sma' thing 'twixt You an' me
Is nocht ava!


I canna' thole the Doctor's way,
He treats me as inferior clay;
He'll neither daff wi' me nor play
A game o' cartes:
O Lord, confound and blast, I pray,
His takin' arts!


Forbye, they didna' treat me fair:
That railway business fashed me sair,
An' the Excise on drink was mair
Than I could stan'—
Thou kenst I had a muckle store
O' dop on han'.