The steerin" mither strang afit Noo shoos the bairnies but a bit; Noo cries them ben, their Sinday shuit To scart upon them, Or sweeties in their pouch to pit, Wi" blessin"s on them.
V
The la.s.ses, clean frae tap to taes, Are busked in crunklin" underclaes; The gartened hose, the weel-filled stays, The nakit shift, A" bleached on bonny greens for days, An" white"s the drift.
VI
An" noo to face the kirkward mile The guidman"s hat o" dacent style, The blackit shoon, we noon maun fyle As white"s the miller: A waefu" peety tae, to spile The warth o" siller.
VII
Our Marg"et, aye sae keen to crack, Douce-stappin" in the stoury track, Her emeralt goun a" kilt.i.t back Frae snawy coats, White-ankled, leads the kirkward pack Wi" Dauvit Groats.
VIII
A thocht ahint, in runkled breeks, A" spiled wi" lyin" by for weeks, The guidman follows closs, an" cleiks The sonsie misses; His sarious face at aince bespeaks The day that this is.
IX
And aye an" while we nearer draw To whaur the kirkton lies alaw, Mair neebours, comin" saft an" slaw Frae here an" there, The thicker thrang the gate, an" caw The stour in air.
X
But hark! the bells frae nearer clang To rowst the slaw, their sides they bang An" see! black coats a"ready thrang The green kirkyaird; And at the yett, the chestnuts spang That brocht the laird.
XI
The solemn elders at the plate Stand drinkin" deep the pride o" state: The practised hands as gash an" great As Lords o" Session; The later named, a wee thing blate In their expression.
XII
The prent.i.t stanes that mark the deid, Wi" lengthened lip, the sarious read; Syne way a moraleesin" heid, An then an" there Their hirplin" practice an" their creed Try hard to square.
XIII
It"s here our Merren lang has lain, A wee bewast the table-stane; An" yon"s the grave o" Sandy Blane; An" further ower, The mither"s brithers, dacent men!
Lie a" the fower.
XIV
Here the guidman sall bide awee To dwall amang the deid; to see Auld faces clear in fancy"s e"e; Belike to hear Auld voices fa"in saft an" slee On fancy"s ear.
XV
Thus, on the day o" solemn things, The bell that in the steeple swings To fauld a scaittered faim"ly rings Its walcome screed; An" just a wee thing nearer brings The quick an" deid.
XVI
But noo the bell is ringin" in; To tak their places, folk begin; The minister himsel" will shune Be up the gate, Filled fu" wi" clavers about sin An" man"s estate.
XVII
The tunes are up - FRENCH, to be shure, The faithfu" FRENCH, an" twa-three mair; The auld prezentor, hoastin" sair, Wales out the portions, An" yirks the tune into the air Wi" queer contortions.
XVIII
Follows the prayer, the readin" next, An" than the fisslin" for the text - The twa-three last to find it, vext But kind o" proud; An" than the peppermints are raxed, An" southernwood.
XIX
For noo"s the time whan pows are seen Nid-noddin" like a mandareen; When tenty mithers stap a preen In sleepin" weans; An" nearly half the parochine Forget their pains.
XX
There"s just a waukrif" twa or three: Thrawn commentautors sweer to `gree, Weans glowrin" at the b.u.mlin" bee On windie-gla.s.ses, Or lads that tak a keek a-glee At sonsie la.s.ses.
XXI
Himsel", meanwhile, frae whaur he c.o.c.ks An" bobs belaw the soundin"-box, The treesures of his words unlocks Wi" prodigality, An" deals some unco dingin" knocks To infidality.
XXII
Wi" snappy unction, hoo he burkes The hopes o" men that trust in works, Expounds the fau"ts o" ither kirks, An" shaws the best o" them No muckle better than mere Turks, When a"s confessed o" them.
XXIII
Bethankit! what a bonny creed!
What mair would ony Christian need? - The braw words rumm"le ower his heid, Nor steer the sleeper; And in their restin" graves, the deid Sleep aye the deeper.