Poems and Idylls Author:William Lee Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MY GRANNIE. Speak kindly o' the orphan loon That never leev'd wi' grannie ; I'd ane was kent through a' the toon, An' made o' me a mannie. My mither d... more »ee'd when I was young, But ere she left her lammie, Her arms roon grannie's neck she flung, An' said, " Be guid to Tammie." She straik'd my pow, an' kissed me sweet, An' lang she held my hannie ; Her hinmost words were, " Dinna greet, Ye'll jist gang hame wi' grannie." She took me hame that very day Death robbed me o' my mammie, And on her knees I heard her pray For her puir orphan Tammie. That prayer was heard I hae nae doot, Though spoken awfu' cannie, For a" things seemed to turn aboot For guid to me an' grannie. Noo grannie's gane an' sleeps fu' soun" Beside her dochter Nannie. When my turn comes, just lay me doon Beside my dear aul' grannie. THE AUL' THACK HOOSE. The aul' thack hoose whaur I was born Sits close beside a burn, Whaur birdies blythe frae early morn Their love sangs sweetly turn. And a' alang the burnie's lip Green ferns and flowerets grow, The bramble and the scarlet hip, The hazel and the sloe. But, oh, I'm wae to ken the hoose Is tenantless and frail, The lum's fa'en in, the rafters loose Hang shiv'ring in the gale. The garden's just a weedy plot That grows nor fruit nor flower ; One lilac bush yet marks the spot Where stood the bairnies' bower. But where are those who played wi' me Within its leafy shade ? Some still are sailing o'er life's sea, And some at rest are laid. Yet still in Mem'ry's hall I hear Their merry voices peal; The fancied sound calls forth a tear, Sad feelings o'er me steal. Though far frae thee, my native place, Nor likely to return, There's nought but death can e'er efface Th...« less