THE PITMAN'S HAPPY TIMES.

Tune- In the days when we went gipsying."

When aw wes yung, maw collier lads,
Ne man cud happier be;
For wages was like sma' coals then,
An' cheps cud raise a spree.
Wor pay-neet cam' wiv drink an' dance,
Wor sweethearts luckt se fine;
An' lumps o' beef, an' dads o' duff,
Wes there for folks te dine,
An' then we spent sic merry neets,
For grum'lin' we had nyen;
But the times o' wor prosperity
Will niver cum agyen.

Wor hooses then wes ower sma',
For ivery nuik was chock;
Wor drawers wes fair mahoginy,
An' se wes chairs an' clock.
Wor feather beds, and powls se fine,
Wes welcum te the seet;
A man work' d harder I' the day,
Wi' thinkin' o' th' neet.
Spice hinnies on the gurdle fizz'd;
Maw tee had rum in't then;
But the times o' wor prosperity
Can niver cum agyen.

Wor wives cud buy new shawls an' goon,s
An' niver heed the price;
The spyed-yace ginnies went like smoke
Te myek wor' darlins nice.
The drapers used ne tickets then,
The country gowks te coax:
They got thereckly what was ax'd,
An' prais'd us collier folks.
The butcher meat was always best
When Kenton paid thor men;
But the days o' wor prosperity
Can niver cum agyen.

When aw gat wed-gox, what a row!
The blindin' brass aw spent:
Aw bowt new gloves an' ribbin,s man,
For aw the folks aw kent.
At ivery yell hoose I' this toon,
We had a cocktail pot;
Wi' treatin' a' the company roond,
Maw kelter went like shot.
But smash! we had a merry neet,
Tho' fights we had but ten;
Thor wes sic times for collier lads-
They'll niver come agyen.

We didn't heed much lairnin' then,
We had ne time for skyul;
Pit laddies work'd for spendin's syek,
An' nyen wes thowt a fyul.
Noo, ivery bairn can read and write-
Extonishin' to me!
The varry dowpie on my lap
Can tell his A B C.
Sum folks geets reet, and sum gets wrang,
Biv lettin' buiks alyen;
But this aw'd sweer, ne time like mine
Can iver cum agyen.

-J.P. Robson, "Bards of the Tyne" 1849.

Had this admirer of the "good old times" lived at the present time (1872), when pitmen's wages are advancing 10 and 15 per cent, at a bound, he even must have doubted whether the past was better than the present-Note, 1872 Edition.