| Arthur Quiller-Couch, comp. The Oxford Book of Victorian Verse. 1922. | | | | Apprenticed | | By Jean Ingelow (1820–1897) |
| | He sings:
COME out and hear the waters shoot, the owlet hoot, the owlet hoot; | |
| Yon crescent moon, a golden boat, hangs dim behind the tree, O! | |
| The dropping thorn makes white the grass, O sweetest lass, and sweetest lass; | |
| Come out and smell the ricks of hay adown the croft with me, O! | |
| |
She answers:
My granny nods before her wheel, and drops her reel, and drops her reel; | 5 |
| My father with his crony talks as gay as gay can be, O! | |
| But all the milk is yet to skim, ere light wax dim, ere light wax dim; | |
| How can I step adown the croft, my ’prentice lad, with thee, O? | |
| |
He replies:
And must ye bide, yet waiting ’s long, and love is strong, and love is strong; | |
| And O, had I but served the time that takes so long to flee, O! | 10 |
| And thou, my lass, by morning light wast all in white, wast all in white, | |
| And parson stood within the rails, a-marrying me and thee, O! | | | | |
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