At length his lonely cot appears in view, Beneath the shelter of an aged tree: Th' expectant wee-things, toddlin' stacher[320-6] thro' To meet their dad, wi' flichterin'[320-7] noise an' glee. His wee bit ingle, blinkin' bonnily, His clean hearth-stane, his thriftie wifie's smile, The lisping infant prattling on his knee, Does a' his weary carking[320-8] cares beguile, An' makes him quite forget his labour and his toil. III Belyve,[321-9] the elder bairns come drappin' in. At service out, amang the farmers roun'; Some ca'[321-10] the pleugh, some herd, some tentie[321-11] rin A cannie[321-12] errand to a neebor town: Their eldest hope, their Jenny, woman grown, In youthfu' bloom, love sparklin in her e'e, Comes hame, perhaps, to show a braw[321-13] new gown, Or deposit her sair-won[322-14] penny fee, To help her parents dear, if they in hardship be. [Illustration: TH' EXPECTANT WEE-THINGS] IV Wi' joy unfeign'd, brothers and sisters meet, And each for other's weelfare kindly spiers:[322-15] The social hours, swift-wing'd, unnoticed fleet; Each tells the uncos[322-16] that he sees or hears; The parents, partial, eye their hopeful years; Anticipation forward points the view; The mother, wi' her needle an' her shears, Gars auld claes look amaist as weel's the new;[322-17] The father mixes a' wi' admonition due. V Their master's an' their mistress's command, The younkers[322-18] a' are warned to obey: "An' mind their labours wi' an eydent[322-19] hand, An' ne'er, tho' out o' sight, to jauk[322-20] or play: An' O! be sure to fear the Lord alway! An' mind your duty, duly, morn an' night! Lest in temptation's path ye gang astray, Implore his counsel and assisting might: They never sought in vain, that sought the Lord aright!" VI But hark! a rap comes gently to the door; Jenny, wha kens the meaning o' the same, Tells how a neebor lad cam' o'er the moor, To do some errands and convoy her hame.[323-21] The wily mother sees the conscious flame Sparkle in Jenny's e'e,[323-22] and flush her cheek; With heart-struck, anxious care, inquires his name, While Jenny hafflins[323-23] is afraid to speak; Weel pleas'd the mother hears, it's nae[323-24] wild, worthless rake. VII