Withering and keen the winter comes While comfort flyes to close shut rooms And sees the snow in feathers pass Winnowing by the window glass And unfelt tempests howl and beat Above his head in corner seat And musing oer the changing scene Farmers behind the tavern screen Sit-or wi elbow idly prest On hob reclines the corners guest Reading the news to mark again The bankrupt lists or price of grain Or old moores anual prophecys That many a theme for talk supplys Whose almanacks thumbd pages swarm Wi frost and snow and many a storm And wisdom gossipd from the stars Of polities and bloody wars He shakes his head and still proceeds Neer doubting once of what he reads All wonders are wi faith supplyd Bible at once and weather guide Puffing the while his red tipt pipe Dreaming oer troubles nearly ripe Yet not quite lost in profits way He`ll turn to next years harvest day And winters leisure to regale Hopes better times and sips his ale While labour still pursues his way And braves the tempest as he may The thresher first thro darkness deep Awakes the mornings winter sleep Scaring the owlet from her prey Long before she dreams of day That blinks above head on the snow Watching the mice that squeaks below And foddering boys sojourn again By ryhme hung hedge and frozen plain Shuffling thro the sinking snows Blowing his fingers as he goes To where the stock in bellowings hoarse Call for their meals in dreary close And print full many a hungry track Round circling hedge that guards the stack Wi higgling tug he cuts the hay And bares the forkfull loads away And morn and evening daily throws The little heaps upon the snows The shepherd too in great coat wrapt And straw bands round his stockings lapt Wi plodding dog that sheltering steals To shun the wind behind his heels Takes rough and smooth the winter weather And paces thro the snow together While in the fields the lonly plough Enjoys its frozen sabbath now And horses too pass time away In leisures hungry holiday Rubbing and lunging round the yard Dreaming no doubt of summer sward As near wi idle pace they draw To brouze the upheapd cribs of straw While whining hogs wi hungry roar Crowd around the kitchen door Or when their scanty meal is done Creep in the straw the cold to shun And old hens scratting all the day Seeks curnels chance may throw away Pausing to pick the seed and grain Then dusting up the chaff again While in the barn holes hid from view The cats their patient watch pursue For birds which want in flocks will draw From woods and fields to pick the straw The soodling boy that saunters round The yard on homward dutys bound Now fills the troughs for noisy hogs Oft asking aid from barking dogs That tuggles at each flopping ear Of such as scramble on too near Or circld round wi thirsty stock That for his swinging labours flock At clanking pump his station takes Half hid in mist their breathing makes Or at the pond before the door Which every night leaves frozen oer Wi heavy beetle1 splinters round The glossy ice wi jarring sound While huddling geese as half asleep Doth round the imprisond water creep Silent and sad to wait his aid And soon as ere a hole is made They din his ears wi pleasures cry And hiss at all that ventures nigh Splashing wi jealous joys & vain Their fill ere it be froze again And woodstack climbs at maids desire Throwing down faggots for the fire Where stealing time he often stands To warm his half froze tingling hands The schoolboy still in dithering joys Pastime in leisure hours employs And be the weather as it may Is never at a loss for play Rolling up giant heaps of snow As noontide frets its little thaw Making rude things of various names Snow men or aught their fancy frames Till numbd wi cold they quake away And join at hotter sports to play Kicking wi many a flying bound The football oer the frozen ground Or seeking bright glib ice to play To sailing slide the hours away As smooth and quick as shadows run When clouds in autumn pass the sun Some hurrying rambles eager take To skait upon the meadow lake Scaring the snipe from her retreat From shelving banks unfrozen seat Or running brook where icy spars Which the pale sunlight specks wi stars Shoots crizzling oer the restless tide To many a likness petrified Where fancy often stoops to pore And turns again to wonder more The more hen too wi fear opprest Starts from her reedy shelterd nest Bustling to get from foes away And scarcly flies more fast then they Skaiting along wi curving springs Wi arms spread out like herons wings They race away for pleasures sake A hunters speed along the lake And oft neath trees where ice is thin Meet narrow scapes from breaking in Again the robin waxes tame And ventures pitys crumbs to claim Picking the trifles off the snow Which dames on purpose daily throw And perching on the window sill Where memory recolecting still Knows the last winters broken pane And there he hops and peeps again The clouds of starnels dailey fly Blackening thro the evening sky To whittleseas1 reed wooded mere And ozier holts by rivers near And many a mingld swathy crowd Rook crow and jackdaw noising loud Fly too and fro to dreary fen Dull winters weary flight agen Flopping on heavy wings away As soon as morning wakens grey And when the sun sets round and red Returns to naked woods to bed Wood pigeons too in flocks appear By hunger tamd from timid fear They mid the sheep unstartld steal And share wi them a scanty meal Picking the green leaves want bestows Of turnips sprouting thro the snows The ickles from the cottage eaves Which cold nights freakish labour leaves Fret in the sun a partial thaw Pattring on the pitted snow But soon as ere hes out of sight They eke afresh their tails at night The sun soon creepeth out of sight Behind the woods-and running night Makes haste to shut the days dull eye And grizzles oer the chilly sky Dark deep and thick by day forsook As cottage chimneys sooty nook While maidens fresh as summer roses Joining from the distant closes Haste home wi yokes and swinging pail And thresher too sets by his flail And leaves the mice at peace agen To fill their holes wi stolen grain And owlets glad his toils are oer Swoops by him as he shuts the door The shepherd seeks his cottage warm And tucks his hook beneath his arm And weary in the cold to roam Scenting the track that leadeth home His dog wi swifter pace proceeds And barks to urge his masters speed Then turns and looks him in the face And trotts before Wi mending pace Till out of whistle from the swain He sits him down and barks again Anxious to greet the opend door And meet the cottage fire once more The robin that wi nimble eye Glegs round a danger to espy Now pops from out the opend door From crumbs half left upon the floor Nor wipes his bill on perching chair Nor stays to clean a feather there Scard at the cat that sliveth in A chance from evenings glooms to win To jump on chairs or tables nigh Seeking what plunder may supply The childerns litterd scraps to thieve Or aught that negligence may leave Creeping when huswives cease to watch Or dairey doors are off the latch On cheese or butter to regale Or new milk reeking in .the pale The hedger now in leathern coat From woodland wilds and fields remote After a journey far and slow Knocks from his shoes the caking snow And opes the welcome creaking door Throwing his faggot on the floor And at his listening wifes desire To eke afresh the blazing fire Wi sharp bill cuts the hazel bands Then sets him down to warm his hands And tell in labours happy way His story of the passing day While as the warm blaze cracks and gleams The supper reeks in savoury steams Or keetle simmers merrily And tinkling cups are set for tea Thus doth the winters dreary day From morn to evening wear away.SourceThe script ran 0.003 seconds.
The script ran 0.003 seconds.
