Seton's Lassie
(Davy Steele)
Cho: It's a hard life in the fields
An' workin' there is trashy,
But ah'll leave it a' behin'
When ah'm wad tae Seton's lassie.
Ah wis picked up at the feein' fair, a halflin' just fourteen, man,
Bundled intae a horse an' cairt an' ta'en tae the Seton Dean, man.
The first night ah wis pit in the byre, ah lay in the beggar's bed, man.
Ah gret an' gret 'til the mornin' came, an' wished ah wis hame instead, man.
That mornin' ah went up tae the manse tae hear whit wis ma fee, man.
Tenpence a day in the bothy tae stay, an' a' the food ah could need, man.
That soon stopped me greetin', an' wi' a smile ah turned away, man,
An' the grieve he's ta'en me up tae the field tae see whit ah wis tae dae, man.
The first time ah went up fur ma pey, ma hat held in ma hand, man,
Young Jessie she cam' sweepin' by in a manner proud and grand, man.
When her eyes were fixed on mine, ah could neither blink nor turn, man.
Then the Maister cried oot ma name, ma face began tae burn, man.
Noo ah fell in wi' the quarterman, an' he said right tae ma face, man,
"Gin ye wid coort the Missie, well ye canna be feart o' the chase, man.
If it's her hert ye're efter, ah believe ye've a chance tae take it.
But if it's her money an' power ye want, well ye couldna be mair glaikit."
Noo seven years ah've worked on the fairm 'til a plooman ah became, man.
An ah moved oot o' the bothy tae a cot-hoose o' ma ain, man.
Ah've traikled efter Jessie, fur she has ma hert beguiled, man.
Now ah've loved her mair as a man-grown than ever ah did as a child, man.
Noo Jessie said she'd mairry me gin ah could gain her hand, man.
Her heid might be up at the manse, but her hert wis in the land, man.
Ah telt her faither gin he'd say no 'twid hurt his dochter sair, man.
But it widna mak' ony odds tae me, fur ah couldnae love her mair, man.
But Seton's ta'en me by the hand an' pit me at
man.
Fur he had watched me over the years an' never seen onything bad, man.
Sae welcomed me right hertily like the son he'd never had, man.
XX
July01
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!