Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-02-20
BALLAD.


She was yearin' avail she was wsarin'
VII the leaves in October we thocht she
For her cheek owre red. an her e'e was
whaur the saul ieukit ocflike an angel o.
licht.
She dwelt in the muirlan's amang the red
o. the sweet hinny heather that blooms on
the fells,
whaur the peesweep an plover are aye on
An the hit q the lav'rock's first heard in
the Spring.
AS black as a craw, an as saft as the silk,
Were the lang locks that fell lon neck like
She was iithesome an lo'esome as lassie
And saft was the Iove-licht that danc'd In
her e'e. EEs..t
Puir Fife had lov'd a. the hopes an the
The plaques an the pleasures, she smiles
o'love she had kenn'd-she had gone thro'
them a.
For fause Jamie chrichton-o' black be his
fa'!
The auldest o. five, whan a lassie o. ten,
She had bath the hoose and the bairnies
to fen;
The mither had game whan she was but a
Sac ENC had mony sad lessons tolearn.
At hame, had ye seen heramangthe young
chips,
The sweet law o. kindness was aye ON her
lips;
She kalned cot THEIR hair, washed theirwee
WI sac tentie a haun that a BARN wadna
greet
She was TO her father the LIGHT o. his cen,
He said she wad be what her mither had
A fairan' sweet sampled true wornanhood,
Sac careful an clever, sac bonnie an guild.
The cot-hoose it stood on the lip O. the
That wimpled an Jinkit VII mony o turn
Roun' the fit o. the heather-fring'd gowany
Whanr me ae COW was tethered, IAN bair-
MES at play.
Sweet Efie as just in the midst o. her
teens,
whan sue gat the first inkling of what
Frae n chiei in the clachen, wha often was
stealin' up the burnside TO the cot-hoose
ate'en.
ona saft simmer gloamin' 1 saw them
On the hanks O. the burnie, an weel Icou'd
By the hue on her cheek. an the blink o.
That her young love was his, an wad ever
mair be
Belyve to fair Efie cam wooers galore,
AM mony saft trims at cen on the door;
She smiled on them a, but gied welcome to
Her first love an last was young Jamie's
alane.
An Jamie wha meier was week frae her
Had vowed e'er towmond to max her his
bride;
Her troth she had glen him WI bushes an
IT was sweet-o, hoo sweet! tho whites she
bad fears;
For a wee hurdle sang, as roun' her II flew,
Sweet lassie tax tent-he's owre sweet 10 be
He's GOT in the e'enin's whan We dinna ken,
An they say he's been wi Kate o. the Glen.
But Effie wad LAUGH, an wad sac to herself,
What lees an what clashes thae bodies
For my Jamielhas sworn TO be true to the
death,
An nocht no can PART us as lan's we haze
breath.
Ae short winter Sabbath, JUST as it grew
mirk,
The father cam hame-he mad been at the
kirk;
His cheek was sac wife, an his leuk was
That Efie giower'd at him in dredour an
fear.
Then he said. my ain Effie, puir mither-
less lass
Oh VIVA wad haze thocht this wad DER come
to pass?
Thy Jamie, this day, in the kirk was pro-
claimed,
"Iwas tauId on the road by ane that maun
Her grannie was ance the gudewife o. the
Glen.
An sic left to young Katie hantle o.
It's gear Jamie wants, an there's naething
OFT here"
n'what said puir Fife? She stood like
But fainun', or greetin', or cryin', was
Her sweet iips they quiver'd, the bluid frae
Flew back to her heart, but nae word could
she speak.
The father sat down, laid her head on his
breast:
"On God an her father my Effie maun
rest,
They meier will deceive thee-thy wrangs
Gin Jamie had wed they MIGHT haze been
mair."
Sune Efie gat up, gied her father some
Put the bairnies to bed. yet ne'er could she
greet
Her young heart was stricken-the foun-
tains were dry
That gush frae the cen wi a tearfu' supply.
That nicht at the reading she Joined in the
psalm,
Her check ii was pale, but her brow it was
calm,
An father he pray'd. as she knelt by his
That God his dear lassle wad comfort an
guide.
The winter gaed by, an the hale simmer
thro',
She tosh'd up the hoose, fed an milkit the
COW;
The cauld warI' had nocht that she cared
for ava,
Her life it was silently meltin' ava.
o!wham moo the love-Iicht that sparkled
ere while
In her bony black e'e: o! wham moo the
smile
That dimpIed her cheek? They were game |
they were camel
Yet she meier shed a tear, an meier made a
name.
An sac she was wearin', fast werrin' ava
ta'i
Her mournin' was ended, an blissfu' an
BRIGHT.
TIC dear lassie dwells wi the angels o.
LIGHT.