Page:Watty and May, or, The wife reclaimed.pdf/10

10 I lost my road, and wandered mony a mile, Maist dead wi’ caukl and hunger, fright and toil. Thus wandering, east or west, I kend na’ where, My mind o’ercome wi’ gloom and black despair, Wi a fell ringe, I plunged at ance, forsooth, Down through a wreath o’ snaw, up to my mouth. Clean o’er my head my precious wallet flew, But whar it gaed, Lord kens, I never knew.

What great misfortunes are pour’d down on some, I thought my fearfu’ hinder end was come ; Wi’ grief and sorrow was my soul o’ercast, Ilk breath I drew was like to be my last, For aye the mair I warsled roun’ and roun’, I fand mysel’ aye stick the deeper down ; Till ance at length, wi’ a prodigious pull, I drew' my poor cauld carcase frae the hole.

Lang, lang I sought and graippit for my pack, Till night and hunger forced me to come back. For three lang hours I wandered up and down, Till chance at last conveyed me to a town ; There, wi’ a trembling hand I wrote my Kate A sad account of a’ my luckless fate ; But bad her aye be kind, and no despair Since life was left, I soon wad gather mair ; Wi’ whilk, I hoped, within a towmond’s date, To be at hame, and share it a’ wi’ Kate.

Fool that I was, how little did I think That love would soon be lost for fa’t o’ clink. The loss of fair won wealth, though hard to bear, Afore this—-neer had power to force a tear. I trusted time wad bring things round again, And Kate, dear Kate, wad then be a’ mine ain ; Consoled my mind, in hopes o’ better luck, But, O ! w'hat sad reverse !—how thunderstruck ! When a black day brought word frae Rab my brither, That Kate was cried, and married to anither !

Though a’ my friends, and ilka comrade sweet, At ance, had drapped cauld dead at may feet; Or, though I'd heard the last day’s dreadfu’ ca’, Nae deeper horror on my heart could fa’: