_Pro JOHN PATERSON, Blantyre._
_By the AUTHOR._
Dear Rab, your letter I received;
Weel pleased was I tae hae frae you
A promise that for yin o' mine,
Ye'd sen' me three an' pang them fu'.
Sae I will keep ye tae yer word,
For I'm nae adept wi' the pen;
Tho' had it been a business deal
I'd haud my ain wi' business men.
Hech, aye! but things are greatly changed,
Since doon the burns we ran thegither,
An' fished frae mornin' dawn till e'en
Or wandered 'mang the bloomin' heather.
Ye're noo awa' across the sea,
Wi' honours added tae yer name,
While I, contented wi' my lot,
Wi' wife an' weans bide nearer hame.
O' winsome lassies that we kent,
The maist o' them are mairit noo;
Some are weel aff, an' some are puir,
An' fin' it hard tae struggle thro';
Some lads like you hae wandered forth
In foreign climes tae win their breid;
Some wives an' carles that we knew
Are noo at rest amang the deid.
The grand auld hills are jist the same,
Nae different in shape or form,
Impervious tae the wear o' time,
Unshaken by the beatin' storm.
The muir-cock still fu' crousely craws,
The linty sings upon the hill,
The whaup's wild cry frae aff the moor
Still moves me wi' a nameless thrill.
Auld freen', I'll gledly mak' a tryst,
For I'm aye fain tae meet wi' thee,
As aft I've dune in days gane by
Afore ye gaed sae far frae me.
An' though I'm weirin' on in life
An' no as yaul as I was then,
We'll meet an' spen' the lee-lang day
An' taste oor boyhood's joys again.
Though in this life we aye maun pairt,
Still hauds the paction we hae made.
A freenship such as we enjoy
We are agreed can never fade;
An' when we close oor een in daith,
An' intae dust oor frames decay,
'Tis of the spirit an' goes on
Tae glory in an endless day.