YE WADDENT ACT BADLY TE ME '?

AIR-" The Sezoi« Masheen."

Two little bairns sat on a law door-step,
A little bit lad an' a lass,
An' the little lass cried wiv a heart-broken cry,
That aw cuddent for a' the world pass,
When aw heard her say wiv a sob an' a sigh,
An' a fyece full 0' sorrow te see,
"Oh, Johnny, me fethur an' muther's falI'n oat,
An' it's seldum aw see them agree."

Korus.

"Ye waddent act badly te me?
No, ye waddent act badly te me,
What gud wad it de te ye or te me?
Ye waddent act badly te me?"

"They've fittin a' day,-de ye hear the noise
0' thor tungs an' thor hands at war?
Aw's flaid te gan in when thor at it se bad,
An' away aw'd be ivor se far;
But away frae them cud aw find ony joy?
No! no! aw wad mis'ribbil be,
For still thor me fethur an' muther the syem,
An' aw wish they cud only agree."

"What a queer thing foaks shud fite i' that way,
When they've leev'd tegither for eers,
Ye wad think they wad fill a' the hoose wi' smiles,
I'steed 0' se mony sad tears;
Can ye think that foaks grown up shud fall oot?
When little bairns like us agree,
An' oh, Johnny, lad, cud we ivor fall oot?
Ye wad nivvor act badly te me?"

"Oh, Meggie, me lass," says the little bit lad,
"De ye think we cud ivor heh words?
Tho me fethur an' muther 'ill quarrel like yors,
Aw'm sorry te see thor discords;
But oh, Meggie lass, if we leeve te grow up,
An' man an' wife ivor shud be,
Aw's sartin ye'll nivvor vex me wi' yor tung,
An' aw waddent act badly te ye!"

Aw've thowt 0' that neet when aw heard this crack,
Since then mony a eer's gyen by,
Thor byeth grown up an' wed, but the life they leed
It's the syem weary story an' cry;
For examples they've seen i' the days lang past,
Myeks them that they can nivvor agree,
Wi' the words that they utter'd completely forgot,
"Oh, ye waddent act badly te me! "


-Source: Joe Wilson, (author) Songs and Drolleries, 1890