Page:Barnes (1879) Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (combined).djvu/447

Rh If there, avore the dusk o’ night, The evenèn zup, a-sheenèn bright, Would paÿ my leäbors wi’ the zight &emsp;&emsp;O’ Ruth—o’ Ruth a-ridèn.

Her healthy feäce is rwosy feäir, &emsp;She’s comely in her gaït an’ lim’, An’ sweet’s the smile her feäce do wear, &emsp;Below her cap’s well-rounded brim; An’ while her skirt’s a-spreädèn wide, In vwolds upon the ho’se’s zide, He’ll toss his head, an’ snort wi’ pride, &emsp;&emsp;To trot wi’ Ruth a-ridèn.

An’ as her ho’se’s rottlèn peäce &emsp;Do slacken till his veet do beät A slower trot, an’ till her feäce &emsp;Do bloom avore the tollman’s geäte; Oh! he’d be glad to oben wide His high-back’d geäte, an’ stand azide, A-givèn up his toll wi’ pride, &emsp;&emsp;Vor zight o’ Ruth a-ridèn.

An’ oh! that Ruth could be my bride, &emsp;An’ I had ho’ses at my will, That I mid teäke her by my zide, &emsp;A-ridèn over dell an’ hill; I’d zet wi’ pride her litty tooe ’Ithin a stirrup, sheenèn new, An’ leäve all other jaÿs to goo &emsp;&emsp;Along wi’ Ruth a-ridèn.

If maïdens that be weak an’ peäle &emsp;A-mwopèn in the house’s sheäde, Would wish to be so blithe and heäle &emsp;As you did zee young Ruth a-meäde;