Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-10
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
THE coTTER's SATURDAY NIGHT.
BY ROBERT BURNS.

(Robert Burns, 17se-l7es. was Scottish
poet. author oi AUD Liens LanE sy ,is ..,srton
ana Ssn:s pcssf. ssoeR
farmers (cotter'sl home, that has endeared
itself wherever Engllsh literature Hnla fHsS
in parentheses)
November chill blsws (blows) loud
wi angry SUCH tsough); the short ming
Winter day Is near q close; ire miry
beasts retreating frae 0rom) the plough
(plow): the black ming trains o. craws
(crows) to their repose; the toil-worn
cotter (farmer) frae his labor goes, this
night his weekly MOL (toiD Is at an
end, collects his spades, his mattocks,
and his hoes, hoping the morn in ease
and rest to spend, and weary, Ger
the moor, his course does hamewaro
bend.
At length his lonely cot (cottage) APP
pears in view, beneath the shelter Of
an aged tree; tn expectant wee things
(children) toddiin', Stacher (stagger)
thro' to meet their dad, WI fiichtertn'
(vibrating) noise an glee. His wee bit
ingle (fire), bltnkin' bonnily (cheerily),
his clean hearth-stane, his thriftie
wifie's smile, the lisping infant pratt
Ting on his knee, does a. his weary
carking (trying) cares beguile, an
makes him quite forget his labor and
his toll.
Belyve (soon) the elder BARNS (chil-
dren) come drappin' in, at service out
working out). amang the farmers
(plow), some herd, some tentie (care-
fully rim rum cannie (trusty)
errsnd to a neeber (neighboring) town;
their eldest hope, their Jenny, woman
grown, in youthful bloom, love sparklin'
in her e'e, comes hame, perhaps, to
deposit her sair-won (hard-earned)
penny fee, to help her parents dear, II
they In hardship be.
Wi Joy unfeign'd, brothers and sis
ters meet, and each for others welfare
kindly spiers asks: the social hours,
swift-wing'd, unnoticed feet, each tells
the uncos (news) that he sees or hears;
the parents, partial. eye their hopeful
years; anticipation forward points the
view; the mother, wi her needle an
her shears, gars (makes) auld claes
(old clothes) look amaist (almosO as
weel's the new (as good as new; the
father mixes a. wi admonition due.
Their masters an their mistresses'
command, the yonkers (youngsters) are
warned to obey: AN mind their labors
wi an EVIDENT (ardent) hand. an ne'er.
tho out O. sight, to jauk Ctrifle) or play:
an, oh, be sure to fear the Lord Away!
An mind your duty duly morn an
night! Lest in temptations path We
gang astray, implore His counsel and
assisting might; they never sought in
vain that sought the Lord aright!"
But, bark a rap comes gently to the
door. Jenny, who kens (who knows
the meaning o the same, tells how a
neebor lad cam DER the moor to do
some errands and convey here hame.
The willy mother sees the conscious
flame sparkle in Jenny's e'e (eye) and
flush her cheek; with heart-struck,
anxious care, inquiries his name. while
speak; weel pieas'd, the mother hears
it's nae (no) wild. worthless rake.
Wi kindly welcome. Jenny brings him
ben Unto the roon): strappin' youth:
he takes the mothers eye. Blythe Jenny
sees the visits no i'll ta'en (takenJ.
The father, cracks tchats) Of horses,
pleughs and kyre (cattle). The young
ster's artless heart o'erflows wi Joy,
but blate (modest) and faithful dash
fuD, scarce can weel behave. The
mother, VII a woman's wiles, can spy
what makes the youth sac (so) bashfu'
an sac grave, weel pleasd to think her
BARNS respected like the lave Ohe
others-neighbor' girls).
But now the supper crowns their SIM
pie board, the halesome (wholeSome)
parritch (porridge). chief o. Scotia's
food; the sowpe (soup or milk their
only Hawke (wf1ite-faced cow does af-
ford, that 'yont the i1allan beyond the
walD snugly elbows her Good (cflews her
cud); the dame brings forth in compli-
hain'd (weH kept kebbuck (cheese)
fell-an' aft he's prest an aft he cas- 1t
guild good, the frugal wife, garrulous.
will tell how twas a towmond (year)
audi sim lint was T. the bell (since the
fax was in bloom).
The cheerful supper done, WI serious
face. they, round the ingle (fire), form
a circle wide: the sire turns Ger, WI
patriarchal grace, the big ha' Bible
(hall or family Bible), ance (once) his
fathers pride; his bonnet (hat)
rev'rently is laid aside, his lyart gray
haffets (temples) wearing thin an bare;
those strains that once did sweet in
Zion glide he wales (chooses) a por-
ton with judicious care, and LET us
wirship God!" he says with solemn air.
They chant their artless notes In
simple guise; they tune their hearts, by
far the noblest aim: perhaps Dundee's
wild warbling measures rise or plain
tive martyrs worthy of the name, or
noble Elgin beats the heav'nward fame,
the sweetest far of Scotia's holy lays
(hymns). Compared with these, italian
trills are tame: the tickled ears no
heartfelt raptures raise; nae unison haze
Chavez they with our Creators praise.
The priest-like father reads the sacred
page, how Abrarn was the friend of
God on high: or Moses babe eternal war
fare wage with Amalek'S ungracious pro-
geny; or how the royal bard did groan-
ing lie beneath the stroke of Heav'n's
avenging ire; or Jobs pathetic plant
and wailing cry; or rapt Isaiah's wild,
seraphic (angel-like) fire; or other holy
seers that tune the sacred Tyre.
Perhaps the Christian volume Is the
theme, how guiltless blood for guilty
man was shed; how He, who bore In
heaven the second name, had not on
earth wherein to lay His head; how
His first followers and servants sped;
the precepts sage they wrote to many q
land: how he, who lone in Patmos
banished, saw in the sun q mighty
angel stand, and heard great Bab'lon's
doom pronounced by Heavens COM
mand.
Then, kneeling down to Heavens
Eternal King. the saint, the father and
the husband prays; hope springs
exultant on triumphant wing: That
thus they all shall meet in future days.
there ever bask In uncreated rays, no
more to sigh or shed the bitter tear,
together hymning their Creators praise,
- such society, yet still more dear;
while circiing time moves round In an
eternal sphere.
Campar'd with this, how poor Re-
Abe Martin Says: