448
The Turnstile 449
The Better vor zeen o' you 450
Pity 451
John Bloom in Lon'on 453
A Lot o' Maidens 456

POEMS OF RURAL LIFE.

FIRST COLLECTION.

SPRING.

THE SPRING.

When wintry weather's all a-done,
An' brooks do sparkle in the zun,
An' naisy-builden rooks do vlee
Wi' sticks toward their elem tree;
When birds do zing, an' we can zee
Upon the boughs the buds o' spring,--
Then I'm as happy as a king,
A-vield wi' health an' zunsheen.

Vor then the cowslip's hangen flow'r
A-wetted in the zunny show'r,
Do grow wi' vi'lets, sweet o' smell,
Bezide the wood-screen'd graegle's bell;
Where drushes' aggs, wi' sky-blue shell,
Do lie in mossy nest among
The thorns, while they do zing their zong
At evenen in the zunsheen.

An' God do meaeke his win' to blow
An' rain to vall vor high an' low,
An' bid his mornen zun to rise
Vor all alike, an' groun' an' skies
Ha' colors vor the poor man's eyes:
An' in our trials He is near,
To hear our mwoan an' zee our tear,
An' turn our clouds to zunsheen.

An' many times when I do vind
Things all goo wrong, an' vo'k unkind,
To zee the happy veeden herds,
An' hear the zingen o' the birds,
Do soothe my sorrow mwore than words;
Vor I do zee that 'tis our sin
Do meaeke woone's soul so dark 'ithin,
When God would gi'e woone zunsheen.

THE WOODLANDS.

O spread ageaen your leaves an' flow'rs,
Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
Here underneath the dewy show'rs
O' warm-air'd spring-time, zunny woodlands!
As when, in drong or open ground,
Wi' happy bwoyish heart I vound
The twitt'ren birds a-builden round
Your high-bough'd hedges, zunny woodlands.

You gie'd me life, you gie'd me jay,
Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands
You gie'd me health, as in my play
I rambled through ye, zunny woodlands!
You gie'd me freedom, vor to rove
In airy meaed or sheaedy grove;
You gie'd me smilen Fanney's love,
The best ov all o't, zunny woodlands!

My vu'st shrill skylark whiver'd high,
Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
To zing below your deep-blue sky
An' white spring-clouds, O zunny woodlands!
An' boughs o' trees that woonce sto