Robert Story

 

Robert Story
Story was born at Wark on Tweed in Northumberland in the northeastern England in 1795.




ELSPIE CAMPBELL,
A tittering gaed alang the board
  The humble name to hear;
An ‘Wha is Elspie ’’ was the word
  Repeated far and near.
‘Nae daughter o’ a knight or earl,
  For whom proud youths might scramble;
A beggar—certes not a girl—
   Is faithfu’ Elspie Campbell.’
Wi’ that, of laughter uncontrolled,
 A burst rang thro’ the room—
‘Why toast, they cried, “a beggar auld?
 Why not a hag wi’ broom?’
 ‘First hear, the speaker said, “her tale:
   Begirt wi’ bent an’ bramble,
The cottage stands in Hieland dale
  Whar wons poor Elspie Campbell.
‘Whan young, she was a servant girl:
  To her did not belang
The lips o’ rose, the teeth o pearl,
  That grace the poet’s sang;
But eident care, baith late an’ soon,
  And wishes pure and humble,
And piety—a else aboon—
  Belanged to Elspie Campbell.
‘Kind was her Leddy, kind and guid,
  The heir o’ bower and ha’,
Till cam misfortune like a flood,
  And reft her o’ them a’.
And Elspie in her little cot
  Begirt wi’ bent and bramble,
Soon learnt her Leddy’s altered lot,
  An’ wae was Elspie Campbell.
“O Leddy, honoured, kind, an’ dear,
  Your age is fifty-three;
I’m younger by a hail lang year,
  An’ bred to labour free.
My hands shall win you bread; my love
  An’ kindness shall be ample;
O Leddy come! my kindness prove!’—
  Said generous Elspie Campbell.
‘The Leddy bides in Elspie’s cot,
  An’ Elspie’s hands are strang;
To sooth her former mistress’ lot
  She toils the simmer lang.
An aye, at e’en, wi’ smiling face
  She comes through bent and bramble,
Her earnings in her lap to place—
  The noble Elspie Campbell.
“In howe o’ winter whan without
  There is na mair to win,
She turns the birring wheel about,
  Or plies the shears within;
While by the gentle dame ‘ill sit,
  Whase means were ance sae ample;
An Elspie is her servant yet—
  The faithfu Elspie Campbell !
 
 
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Story_%28poet%29