Tha Grocery Cairt

Whun A quat schuil wae a lichtsome hairt,

Whaur else did A gang but tha grocery cairt,

Tae len’ a han’ in mae broon shap coat —

It wus ether that ir tha Stranrar boat.

Tae get tae work on Jimmy’s cairt,

A bocht a new racer an’ luked tha pairt.

Aboot twa mile there, an’ aff coorse twa bak’,

For thirty bob a week, nae fortune A’d mak’.

Ivery moarnin bricht an’ airly at seven wae wud start —

Tha airly burd gets the worms, aul Jimmy tuk tae hairt —

Sae aff wae’d set tae some distant toon lan’,

Tae peddle oor wares in tha aul’ grocery van.

Wae trevilled far an near ower muntins an braes,

Supplyin’ provisions tae guid weemen in stays,

Collected hen eggs an dhuck yins as weel,

An supplied calves an soos wae the best o’ guid meal.

Wae sowl pink paraffin, an mantles for yer lamp,

An strenge wattery coffee bae the name o’ Camp,

Some chawin’ tabakka, an Warhorse for yer pipe,

An ready rubbed a-plenty if that wus yer type.

Noo maist o’ oor customers had a wee rid book,

An intae it ye’d mark tha things that thae took.

Thae wud pye wae their cash ir eggs in lieu,

An ithers squared ye up whun thae sowl tha soo.

Noo tha odd yin wud try an work a wee fiddle,

An try gran schames for aul’ Jimmy tae diddle.

Ye’d fin naeboady in roon aboot tha Twalth —

Wakin’ dues an tha lake had tuk a’ their wealth.

It wus a gran’ life for a young lad lake me,

For tha country A sa’ richt doon tae sea.

Blue pratas wur weighed in an aul wudden box,

An A sowl tha waens wee bags o’ clove rocks.

Tha guid folk frae a’ cuntrie airts an’ pairts

Wud meet ye aye wae freenly hairts.

Wae wur their lifeline an tha news thae h’ard

Wus far better tae them nir a poun’ o’ lard.

Ye see thae luked on is mair lake guid freens,

In their homesteads an far aff loanin greens,

An wud hae trusted ye wae mony things.

Whiles deed A thocht that wae had wings.

Wae wud aye hae tried near onything

Tae pleese. Weekly papers wae wud bring

Tae yins that nivir bocht even a wheaten,

But yit A nivir h’ard aul Jimmy greetin’.

Noo roon Yuletide wus tha best time o’ year,

Whun aa wur sae happy an fu’ o’ guid cheer,

For in them dehs guid folk aye gied ye a tip.

Maistly then thae wur gein nae aul’ lip.

Noo then come tha deh whun A left tha cairt,

Four poun’ wus tha dra an wae had tae pairt.

A factory wus ca’in’ an it luked sae grate,

Tae get awa’ frae Aul Jimmy A jest cudnae wait.

The story A’m tellin’ ye is ower forty years hence,

An mony a trade A hae wrocht at since,

But aye in mae mine is tha shoart years A spent,

Wae Jimmy an his cairt tae help pye the rent.