Page:Beauties of Burn's poems.pdf/5

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The parents, partial, ee their hopefu' years;
Anticipation forward points the view :
The mother wi' her needle and her sheers,
Gars auld claes look amaist as weel's the new;
The father mixes a' wi' admonition due.

Their Master's and their Mistress's command,
The younkers n' are warned to obey;
And mind their labours wi' an eydent hand,
And ne'er, tho' out of sight, to jauk or play
And O! be sure to fear the Lord alway,
And mind your duty, duly, morn and night;
Lest in temptation's path ye gang astray.
Implore his counsel and assisting might:
They never sought in vain, that sought the Lord aright.

But hark! a rap comes gently to the door:
Jenny, wha kens the meaning of the same,
Tells how a neibour lad came owre the moor,
To do some errands, and ccavoy her hame.
The wily mother sees the conscious flame
Sparkle in Jenny's ee, and flush her cheek;
Wi' heart-struck anxious care inquires his, name,
While Jenny hafflins is afraid to speak :
Weel pleas'd, the mother lears it's nae wild worthless rake.

With kindly welcome Jenny brings him ben;
A strappin youth; he taks the mother's eye;
Blythe Jenay sees the visit's no ill ta'en.
The father cracks o' horses, pleughs, and kye.
The youngster's artless heart oferflows wi' joy,
But blate and laithfu', scarce can weel behave;

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