He walks up to the window and gazes inside. He sees the smiles and the friendliness reflecting off of the glowing faces. He hears the clinking glasses mingling with the laughter and singing. He walks to the door and spies a sleeping Sugar Dog, welcoming all comer's into the door. He bends down and gives her a gentle scratch behind the ears as he kisses the top of her furry head. Then he opens the door and steps inside. He heads straight to the bar and gets himself a pint of Guinness. He looks around and sights an empty recliner. He strolls on over and sits himself down. He searches the laughing faces, until he finds her, his favorite wench. "Hey, Aggie! How are you this fine evening? Come on over here, sweetie. I'll sing you a song, if you kindly warm my lap for me. Ah there we go...."

Come Ye Back, My Love
(tune: I'LL LAY YE DOON, LOVE)

Oh, come ye back, my love, I'll take your hand
Come ye back, my love, come back to me
Oh, come ye back, my love, I'll take your hand
Come back from across the sea

There is a town, by the Kootenai River
Settled in the midst of the northern hills
And as I was walking, upon the shoreline
I spied a young lass a-crying her fill

I have a love, who's gone fishing up north
Among the deeps of the cold Bering Sea
And it's many a month since he's been gone
And I yearn for him to return to me

Many's the day and night he trawled the water
Dragging the net behind "The Flea",
But the storm it swept the freezing ocean
Swallowing my Willie into the sea.

She opens the locket upon her breast
Inside lies a picture of her man
Her teardrops stained his smiling face
As she walked slowly off the land

To this day she still haunts my dreams
And I yet wake with a tearful sigh
I see her wading into the rushing river
Even now my ears echo with her cry

Nathan Tompkins