Page:Barnes (1879) Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (combined).djvu/114

98 ’Twer Martinmas, and ouer feäir, When Jeäne an’ I, a happy peäir, Vu’st walk’d, a-keepèn up the tide, Among the stan’ens, zide by zide; An’ thik day twel’month, never faïlèn, She gi’ed me at the chancel raïlèn A heart—though I do sound her praise— As true as ever beät in staÿs. How vast the time do goo! Do seem But yesterday,—’tis lik’ a dream!

Ah, sō’s! ’tis now zome years agoo You vu’st knew me, an’ I knew you; An’ we’ve a-had zome bits o’ fun, By winter vire an’ zummer zun. Aye; we’ve a-prowl’d an’ rigg’d about Lik’ cats, in harm’s way mwore than out, An’ busy wi’ the tricks we plaÿ’d In fun, to outwit chap or maïd. An’ out avore the bleäzèn he’th, Our naïsy tongues, in winter me’th, ’V a-shook the warmèn-pan, a-hung Bezide us, till his cover rung. There, ’twer but tother day thik chap, Our Robert, wer a child in lap; An’ Poll’s two little lags hung down Vrom thik wold chair a span vrom groun’. An’ now the saucy wench do stride About wi’ steps o’ dree veet wide. How time do goo! A life do seem As ’twer a year; ’tis lik’ a dream!