THE WEE SPRIG O’ HEATHER.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2502, 6 September 1890, Page 7

THE WEE SPRIG O’ HEATHER.

Roses, an orchids, an’ a’, are naething aae precious tae me, As this wee sprig o’ faded heather which has journeyed across the sea, I opened my letter an' lutked, an’ thxre in the inmost t'auld, Lay this wee bit o’ Scotia’s heather, which “ Auld Lang Syne” recalled. Days when the haill warl’ seemed sue bonny, *" an’ bricht an’ wide. Fra© my ruik i’ the fragrant heather, heich on the mountain side : The laverock, nwa* i' the lift, seemed breaking its bert wi’ glee— Wha wadna fairly dirl tae hing i’ the lift ower the sea ? Oh ! for the smell o’ the heather, honeyed an’ dewy, an’ soft, The bees hung buzzin’ly ower it, fairly drucken an’ deft ; The blue bells nodded their saucy heids, as blue as the lift abune. At the lang, straicht, purple foxglove, their haughty mountain queen. Doon at the hillside’s fit, whaur the fields lay yellow and ripe, I could hear the corncrailc groan, and the plover cheerily pipe ; The smell o’ the saut, saut sea cam* soughin’ upon the breeze— Oh, there surely were never, never sic bonuie lang days rs these ! Dear, wee bit hit o’ faded heather ! ye min’ ©’ the day* sae lang, Ye min’ o’ the bonnie blue 6ky and tha laverock's meltin’ sang ; Think ye, wee withered wicht, gia I wandered up there uuots mair, Wad the sky seem aye as blue an® bricht, an’the warl aye as fair ? Wad the laverock's sang be as lood, an’ the haill warl 5 aye as sweet, As it was when I dumbed the hill wi’ fresh, un tired feet ? Oh, wee bit o’ heather ! ye dinna ken Loo ye’ve cheered an’ lichtese-d me, Bringin’ a message ye won nae o’ frae the dear lan’ ower the sea ! —Goo© Housekbk Pin®.