| Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet. 1867. | | | | III. A Wayside Adventure | | By John Watson Dalby |
| | | HE was a native of the North countrie, | |
| But left it early,—an adventurous lad; | |
| His look I know not if severe or sad, | |
| Shrewd surely and with even a latent glee; | |
| And a broad deeply-furrowed brow had he. | 5 |
| Albeit no Scot, the accent made me glad, | |
| Awaking love and kindly memory. | |
| “With song and friendship we are wisely mad,” | |
| Methought; “and this shall be a merry hour. | |
| Of this man’s soul I hold the secret key: | 10 |
| Grave, silent, strong, yet shall he feel my power, | |
| And that of the heart-linker, Sympathy. | |
| One word shall bring the land for which he yearns, | |
| One magic word.”—I spoke it,—it was Burns. | | | | |
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