(Except at any _orra time_)
To spend her hours in making rhyme."

In person, Mrs Lyon was of the middle height, and of a slender form. She
had a fair complexion, her eyes were of light blue, and her countenance
wore the expression of intelligence. She excelled in conversation; and a
retentive memory enabled her to render available the fruits of extensive
reading. In old age, she retained much of the buoyant vivacity of youth,
and her whole life was adorned by the most exemplary piety.

NEIL GOW'S FAREWELL TO WHISKY.[62]

TUNE--_"Farewell to Whisky."_

You 've surely heard of famous Neil,
The man who play'd the fiddle weel;
He was a heartsome merry chiel',
And weel he lo'ed the whisky, O!
For e'er since he wore the tartan hose
He dearly liket _Athole brose_![63]
And grieved he was, you may suppose,
To bid "farewell to whisky," O!

Alas! says Neil, I'm frail and auld,
And whiles my hame is unco cauld;
I think it makes me blythe and bauld,
A wee drap Highland whisky, O!
But a' the doctors do agree
That whisky 's no the drink for me;
I 'm fley'd they'll gar me tyne my glee,
By parting me and whisky, O!

But I should mind on "auld lang syne,"
How Paradise our friends did tyne,
Because something ran in their mind--
Forbid--like Highland whisky, O!
Whilst I can get good wine and ale,
And find my heart, and fingers hale,
I 'll be content, though legs should fail,
And though forbidden whisky, O!

I 'll tak' my fiddle in my hand,
And screw its strings whilst they can stand,
And mak' a lamentation grand
For guid auld Highland whisky, O!
Oh! all ye powers of music, come,
For deed I think I 'm mighty glum,
My fiddle-strings will hardly bum,
To say, "farewell to whisky," O!

[62] In the Author's MS., the following sentences occur prefatory to
this song:--"Everybody knows Neil Gow. When he was poorly, the
physicians forbade him to drink his favourite liquor. The words
following were composed, at his particular desire, to a lamentation he
had just made." Mrs Lyon became acquainted with Gow when she was a young
lady, attending the concerts in Dundee, at which the services of the
great violinist were regularly required. The song is very inaccurately
printed in some of the collections.

[63] A beverage composed of honey dissolved in whisky.