page 8

Come Under My Plaidie.

"Gae 'wa wi' yer plaidie! auld Donald, gae 'wa:
I fear nae the cauld blast, the drift, nor the snaw;
Gae 'wa wi' yer plaidie! I'll no sit beside ye;
Ye micht he my gutcher!² auld Donald, gae wa.
I'm gaun to meet Johnnie—he's young and he's [unclear: ba]
He's been at Meg's bridal, fu' trig ³ and fu' braw!
Nane dances sae lichtly, sae graceful sae tichtly,
His cheek's like the new rose, his brow's like [unclear: sn]

"Dear Marion, let that flee ⁴ stick fast to the wa';
Your Jock's but a gowk,⁵ and has naething ava;
The hale ⁶ o' his pack he has now on his back;
He's thretty, and I am but threescore and twa.
Be frank now and kindly—I'll busk ye aye finely;
To kirk or to market there'll nane gang sae braw;
A bien ⁷ house to bide in, a chaise for to ride in,
An' flunkies ⁸ to 'tend ye as aft as ye ca'."

"My faither aye tauld me, my mither an' a',
Ye'd mak' a gude husband, and keep me aye braw;
It's true I lo'e Johnnie, he's young and he's bonnie,
But, wae's me! I ken, he has naething ava!
I ha'e little tocher;⁹ ye've made a gude offer;
I'm now mair than twenty; my time is but sma';
Sae gi'e me your plaidie, I'll creep in beside ye,
I thocht ye'd been aulder than threescore and twa!"

She crap ¹⁰ in ayont him, beside the stane wa',
Whar Johnnie was list' nin', and heard her tell a';
The day was appointed!—his proud heart it dunled,"¹¹
And strack 'gainst his side as if bursting in twa.
He wander'd hame wearie, the nicht it was dreane,
And, thowless,¹² he tint his gate ¹³ 'mang the deep snaw;
The howlet ¹⁴ was screamin', while Johnnie cried, Women
Wad marry auld Nick, if he'd keep them aye braw."