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7
"Hoot," quo' Tam, "what's a' your hurry?
Hame's now scarce a mile o' gate—
Come! sit down—Jean winna weary:
Dear me, man, it's no sae late!"
Hame's now scarce a mile o' gate—
Come! sit down—Jean winna weary:
Dear me, man, it's no sae late!"
Will, owrecome wi' Tam's oration,
Baith fell to, and ate their fill;
"Tam," quo' Will, "in mere discretion,
We maun ha'e the widow's gill."
Baith fell to, and ate their fill;
"Tam," quo' Will, "in mere discretion,
We maun ha'e the widow's gill."
After ae gill cam anither—
Meg sat cracking 'tween them twa;
Bang! cam in Mat Smith and's brither,
Geordie Brown and Sandy Shaw.
Meg sat cracking 'tween them twa;
Bang! cam in Mat Smith and's brither,
Geordie Brown and Sandy Shaw.
Neighbours wha ne'er thought to meet here
Now sat down wi' double glee;
Ilka gill grew sweet and sweeter—
Will got hame 'tween twa and three.
Now sat down wi' double glee;
Ilka gill grew sweet and sweeter—
Will got hame 'tween twa and three.
Jean poor thing, had lang been greetin'
Will next morning, blamed Tam Lowes;
But, ere lang, a weekly meetin'
Was set up at Maggy Howe's.
Will next morning, blamed Tam Lowes;
But, ere lang, a weekly meetin'
Was set up at Maggy Howe's.
PART II.
Maist things ha'e a sma' beginning,
But wha kens how things will end?
Weekly clubs are nae great sinning,
If folk ha'e enough to spend.
Maist things ha'e a sma' beginning,
But wha kens how things will end?
Weekly clubs are nae great sinning,
If folk ha'e enough to spend.
But nae man o' sober thinking,
E'er will say that things can thrive,
If there's spent in weekly drinking
What keeps wife and weans alive.
E'er will say that things can thrive,
If there's spent in weekly drinking
What keeps wife and weans alive.
Drink maun aye hae conversation,
Ilka social so allows;
But in this reforming nation,
Wha can speak without the news?
Ilka social so allows;
But in this reforming nation,
Wha can speak without the news?
