DeathAndDyingWordsOfPoorMailie,TheAuthor'sOnlyPetYowe.,The

1783

deathanddyingwordsofpoormailie,theauthor'sonlypetyowe.,the

anuncomournfu'tale

asmailie,an'herlambsthegither,

wasaedaynibblingonthetether,

uponherclootshecoostahitch,

an'owreshewarsl'dintheditch:

there,groaning,dying,shedidlie,

whenhughochecamdoytinby.

wi'glowrineen,andliftedhan's

poorhughoclikeastatuestan's;

hesawherdayswerenear-handended,

but,wae'smyheart!hecouldnamendit!

hegapedwide,butnaethingspak,

atlangthpoormailiesilencebrak.

“othou,whaselamentableface

appearstomournmywoefu'case!

mydyingwordsattentivehear,

an'bearthemtomymasterdear.

“tellhim,ife'eragainhekeep

asmucklegearasbuyasheep—

o,bidhimnevertiethemmair,

wi'wickedstringso'hemporhair!

butca'themouttoparkorhill,

an'letthemwanderattheirwill:

somayhisflockincrease,an'grow

toscoreso'lambs,an'packso'woo'!

“tellhim,hewasamasterkin',

an'ayewasguidtomean'mine;

an'nowmydyingchargeigiehim,

myhelplesslambs,itrustthemwi'him.

“o,bidhimsavetheirharmlesslives,

fraedogs,an'tods,an'butcher'sknives!

butgiethemguidcow-milktheirfill,

tilltheybefittofendthemsel';

an'tentthemduly,e'enan'morn,

wi'taetso'hayan'rippso'corn.

“an'maytheyneverlearnthegaets,

ofithervile,wanrestfu'pets—

toslinkthro'slaps,an'reavean'steal

atstackso'pease,orstockso'kail!

somaythey,liketheirgreatforbears,

formonyayearcomethrotheshears:

sowiveswillgiethembitso'bread,

an'bairnsgreetforthemwhenthey'redead.

“mypoortoop-lamb,mysonan'heir,

o,bidhimbreedhimupwi'care!

an'ifhelivetobeabeast,

topitsomehavinsinhisbreast!

“an'warnhim—whatiwinnaname—