| |
| THE FARMER’S wife sat at the door, | |
| A pleasant sight to see; | |
| And blithesome were the wee, wee bairns | |
| That played around her knee. | |
| |
| When, bending ’neath her heavy creel, | 5 |
| A poor fish-wife came by, | |
| And, turning from the toilsome road, | |
| Unto the door drew nigh. | |
| |
| She laid her burden on the green, | |
| And spread its scaly store; | 10 |
| With trembling hands and pleading words, | |
| She told them o’er and o’er. | |
| |
| But lightly laughed the young guidwife, | |
| “We ’re no sae scarce o’ cheer; | |
| Tak’ up your creel, and gang your ways,— | 15 |
| I ’ll buy nae fish sae dear.” | |
| |
| Bending beneath her load again, | |
| A weary sight to see; | |
| Right sorely sighed the poor fish-wife, | |
| “They are dear fish to me! | 20 |
| |
| “Our boat was oot ae fearfu’ night, | |
| And when the storm blew o’er, | |
| My husband, and my three brave sons, | |
| Lay corpses on the shore. | |
| |
| “I ’ve been a wife for thirty years, | 25 |
| A childless widow three; | |
| I maun buy them now to sell again,— | |
| They are dear fish to me!” | |
| |
| The farmer’s wife turned to the door,— | |
| What was ’t upon her cheek? | 30 |
| What was there rising in her breast, | |
| That then she scarce could speak? | |
| |
| She thought upon her ain guidman, | |
| Her lightsome laddies three; | |
| The woman’s words had pierced her heart,— | 35 |
| “They are dear fish to me!” | |
| |
| “Come back,” she cried, with quivering voice, | |
| And pity’s gathering tear; | |
| “Come in, come in, my poor woman, | |
| Ye ’re kindly welcome here. | 40 |
| |
| “I kentna o’ your aching heart, | |
| Your weary lot to dree; | |
| I ’ll ne’er forget your sad, sad words: | |
| ‘They are dear fish to me!’” | |
| |
| Ay, let the happy-hearted learn | 45 |
| To pause ere they deny | |
| The meed of honest toil, and think | |
| How much their gold may buy,— | |
| |
| How much of manhood’s wasted strength, | |
| What woman’s misery,— | 50 |
| What breaking hearts might swell the cry: | |
| “They are dear fish to me!” | |
| |
