Page:Barnes (1879) Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (combined).djvu/307

Rh &emsp;&emsp;Lie alwone! sigh alwone! die alwone! &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Then be vorgot. &emsp;&emsp;No! I be content wi’ my lot.

Ah! where be the vingers so feäir, &emsp;Vor to pat en so soft on the feäce, To mend ev’ry stitch that do tear, &emsp;An’ keep ev’ry button in pleäce? &emsp;&emsp;Crack a-tore! brack a-tore! back a-tore! &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Buttons a-vled! &emsp;&emsp;Vor want ov a wife wi’ her thread.

Ah! where is the sweet-perty head &emsp;That do nod till he’s gone out o’ zight? An’ where be the two eärms a-spread, &emsp;To show en he’s welcome at night? &emsp;&emsp;Dine alwone! pine alwone! whine alwone! &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Oh! what a life! &emsp;&emsp;I’ll have a friend in a wife.

An’ when vrom a meetèn o’ me’th &emsp;Each husban’ do leäd hwome his bride, Then he do slink hwome to his he’th, &emsp;Wi’ his eärm a-hung down his cwold zide. &emsp;&emsp;Slinkèn on! blinkèn on! thinkèn on! &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Gloomy an’ glum; &emsp;&emsp;Nothèn but dullness to come.

An’ when he do onlock his door, &emsp;Do rumble as hollow’s a drum, An’ the veäries a-hid roun’ the vloor, &emsp;Do grin vor to see en so glum. &emsp;&emsp;Keep alwone! sleep alwone! weep alwone! &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;There let en bide, &emsp;&emsp;I’ll have a wife at my zide.