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| THE DULE ’S i’ this bonnet o’ mine; | |
| My ribbins ’ll never be reet; | |
| Here, Mally, aw ’m like to be fine, | |
| For Jamie ’ll be comin’ to-neet; | |
| He met me i’ th’ lone t’ other day,— | 5 |
| Aw ’re gooin’ for wayter to th’ well,— | |
| An’ he begg’d that aw ’d wed him i’ May;— | |
| Bi th’ mass, iv he ’ll let me, aw will! | |
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| When he took my two honds into his, | |
| Good Lord, heaw they trembled between; | 10 |
| An’ aw durstn’t look up in his face, | |
| Becose on him seein’ my e’en; | |
| My cheek went as red as a rose;— | |
| There ’s never a mortal can tell | |
| Heaw happy aw felt; for, thea knows, | 15 |
| One could n’t ha’ ax’d him theirsel’. | |
| |
| But th’ tale wur at th’ end o’ my tung,— | |
| To let it eawt would n’t be reet,— | |
| For aw thought to seem forrud wur wrung, | |
| So aw towd him aw ’d tell him to-neet; | 20 |
| But Mally, thae knows very weel,— | |
| Though it is n’t a thing one should own,— | |
| Iv aw ’d th’ pikein’ o’ th’ world to mysel’, | |
| Aw ’d oather ha’ Jamie or noan. | |
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| Neaw, Mally, aw ’ve towd tho my mind; | 25 |
| What would to do iv ’t wur thee? | |
| “Aw ’d tak him just while he ’re inclin’d, | |
| An’ a farrantly bargain he ’d be; | |
| For Jamie ’s as gradely a lad | |
| As ever stepp’d eawt into th’ sun;— | 30 |
| Go, jump at thy chance, an’ get wed, | |
| An’ may th’ best o’ th’ job when it ’s done!” | |
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| Eh, dear, but it ’s time to be gwon,— | |
| Aw should n’t like Jamie to wait; | |
| Aw connut for shame be too soon, | 35 |
| An’ aw would n’t for th’ world be too late; | |
| Aw ’m o’ ov a tremble to th’ heel,— | |
| Dost think ’at my bonnet ’ll do?— | |
| “Be off, lass,—thae looks very weel; | |
| He wants noan o’ th’ bonnet, thae foo!” | 40 |
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