ORIGINAL POETRY.

Southland Times, Issue 911, 6 March 1868, Page 3

ORIGINAL POETRY.

MEMORIALS O' LANG SYNE; OR, SKETCHES OF THE PAST. by johit g. smith. The Aotd Bechjab Mas. [The auld beggar man made his first debut before the public about five years ago, and was kindly welcomed by many of tbe Scottish newspapers, and a place assigned to him in the corner of numerous periodicals. In the south of Scotland this sketch was an esp9cial favorite, and was sung by both old and young at public concerts and private parties, to the tune of " Castles in the Air." Many of the Scottish settlera in this Province, I have no doubt, will recognise the original, and will in common with the author regret that the auld Gaberlunzie men— the Edio Ochiltrees of a paßt age — have now entirely disappeared, and have given place to a race of upstarts having all the bad, and none of the good qualities of their predecessors.] I. The Auld Beggar Man* he gaed up an' doon the street, An auld blue bonnet on his head and bauchles on his feet ; His coat a' in tatters, an' his doublet a' in rags, An' round about his girdle a routh o' mealy bagß ; His body bent vri' eild, and bis touzy beard o' grey, He hoasted an' he hirpled as he sprauchled up the brae. . . The little doggies barked, an' the wee, weebairmes ran Whene'er they gat a sicht o' the Auld Beggar JMan. n. The Auld Beggar Man, wi' his auld duddy claet, When he was young an' halefu' had seen better days. . A cantj name had he, an' a fireside o' his am, Snlichtened by the smiles o' a bonny wife an' wean; But his siller flew awa', an' he was forced to drie The loss o' a' his joys an' the ills o' povertie : — Nae frien' to share his grief or to tak him by the han ? — Oh ! waefu' was the weird o' the Auld Beggar Man. m. The Auld Beggar man, ha wandered up and doon, Begging bits o' bread frae the folk in ilka toon. Whiles ho gat a ferie o' cake and whiles a bawbee, An 8 mony a time a weary an' a hungry wight was he. Trailin' oure the long muir, daddin' through the snaw — Sleepin' a' the nicht in a barn amang the straw : Sometimes he would bless, an' at ither time 3 wad ban The cauld ban' o' Charity— the Auld Beggar Man. IV. But the Auld Beggar Man he will never mair be seen, For the snaw was driftin' sair and the frost was bitin' keen — The angry wind blew snell, out oure the heath eae bare, When the wand'rer, worn an' weary, sank doon to rise nae mair. Oh! ay e rich an 5 saucy, wha live in state an pride, To little ken afore ye^dee what ills may you betide : Be kind to a' the puir folk, and do whate'erye can To drive away the cluds o' care frae ilka Beggar Man.