OBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ILLUSTRATED A-S-BOYD / w s~ h" ( A LOWDEN SABBATH MORN A LOWDEN - - SABBATH MORN BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ILLUSTRATED BY A. S. BOYD & PUBLISHED AT LONDON BY CHATTO Gf WINDUS MCMIX First Illustrated Edition published 1898, and a Second Impression in the same year. New Edition in 1907 ; and with Coloured Fron- tispiece in 1909. Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON &> Co. At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh TO THE MEMORY OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY THE ILLUSTRATOR A Lowden Sabbath Morn THE clinkum-clank o' Sabbath bells Noo to the hoastin' rookery swells, Noo faintin' laigh in shady dells, Sounds far an' near, An' through the simmer kintry tells Its tale o' cheer. II An' noo, to that melodious play, A' deidly awn the quiet sway A' ken their solemn holiday, Bestial an' human, The singin' lintie on the brae, The restin' plou'man. Ill He, mair than a' the lave o' men, His week completit joys to ken ; Half-dressed, he daunders out an' in, Perplext wi' leisure ; An' his raxt limbs he'll rax again Wi' painfii' pleesure. IV The steerin' mither strang afit Noo shoos the bairnies but a bit ; Noo cries them ben, their Sinday shuit To scart upon them, Or sweeties in their pouch to pit, Wi' blessin's on them. The lasses, clean frae tap to taes, Are busked in crunklin' underclaes ; The gartened hose, the weel-filled stays, The nakit shift, A' bleached on bonny greens for days An' white's the drift. VI An' noo to face the kirkward mile : The guidman's hat o' dacent style, The blackit shoon, we noo maun fyle As white's the miller : A waefii' peety tae, to spile The warth o' siller. VII Our Marg'et, aye sae keen to crack, Douce-stappin' in the stoury track, Her emeralt goun a' kiltit back Frae snawy coats, White-ankled, leads the kirkward pack Wi' Dauvit Groats. 10 VIII A thocht ahint, in runkled breeks, A' spiled wi' lyin' by for weeks, The guidman follows closs, an' cleiks The sonsie missis ; His sarious face at aince bespeaks The day that this is. IX And aye an' while we nearer draw To whaur the kirkton lies alaw, Mair neebours, comin' saft an' slaw Frae here an' there, The thicker thrang the gate, an' caw The stour in air. ii But hark ! the bells frae nearer clang ; To rowst the slaw, their sides they bang ; An' see ! black coats a'ready thrang The green kirkyaird ; And at the yett, the chestnuts spang That brocht the laird. XI The solemn elders at the plate Stand drinkin' deep the pride o' state : The practised hands as gash an' great As Lords o' Session ; The later named, a wee thing blate In their expression. 12 XII The prentit stanes that mark the deid, Wi' lengthened lip, the sarious read ; Syne wag a moraleesin' heid, An' then an' there Their hirplin' practice an' their creed Try hard to square. XIII It's here our Merren lang has lain, A wee bewast the table-stane ; An' yon's the grave o' Sandy Blane ; An' further ower, The mither's brithers, dacent men ! Lie a' the fower. XIV Here the guidman sail bide awee To dwall amang the deid ; to see Auld faces clear in fancy's e'e ; Belike to hear Auld voices fa'in saft an' slee On fancy's ear. XV Thus, on the day o' solemn things, The bell that in the steeple swings To fauld a scaittered faim'ly rings Its walcome screed ; An' just a wee thing nearer brings The quick an' deid. XVI But noo the bell is ringin' in ; To tak their places, folk begin ; The minister himsel' will shiine Be up the gate, Filled fu' wi' clavers about sin An' man's estate. XVII The tiines are up French, to be shiire, The faithfii' French, an' twa-three mair ; The auld prezentor, hoastin' sair, Wales out the portions, An' yirks the time into the air Wi' queer contortions. XVIII Follows the prayer, the readin' next, An' than the fisslin' for the text The twa-three last to find it, vext But kind o' proud ; An' than the peppermints are raxed, An' southernwood. XIX For noo's the time whan pows are seen Nid-noddin' like a mandareen ; When tenty mithers stap a preen In sleepin' weans ; An' nearly half the parochine Forget their pains. 1 6 XX There's just a waukrif twa or three : Thrawn commentautors sweer to 'gree, Weans glowrin' at the bumlin' bee On windie-glasses, Or lads that tak a keek a-glee At sonsie lasses. XXI Himsel', meanwhile, frae whaur he cocks An' bobs belaw the soundin'-box. The treesures of his words unlocks Wi' prodigality, An' deals some unco dini^in' knocks o To infidality. XXII Wi' sappy unction, hoo he burkes The hopes o' men that trust in works, Expounds the fau'ts o' ither kirks, An' shaws the best o' them No muckle better than mere Turks, When a's confessed o' them. XXIII Bethankit ! what a bonny creed ! What mair would ony Christian need ? The braw words rumm'le ower his heid, Nor steer the sleeper ; And in their restin' graves, the deid Sleep aye the deeper. 18 AUTHOR'S NOTE It may be guessed by some that I had a certain parish in my eye, and this makes it proper I should add a word of disclamation. In my time there have been two ministers in that parish. Of the first I have a special reason to speak well, even had there been any to think ill. The second I have often met in private and long- (in the due phrase) " sat under " in his church, and neither here nor there have I heard an unkind or ugly word upon his lips. The preacher of the text had thus no original in that particular parish ; but when I was a boy he might have been observed in many others ; he was then (like the schoolmaster) abroad ; and by recent advices, it would seem he has not yet entirely disappeared. ILLUSTRATOR'S NOTE I am not certain of the particular parish Stevenson had in his mind when he wrote this poem, but I am certain that the description is typical of almost any Scottish rural parish, Lowden (that is, Lothian) or other. In illustrat- ing the verses it has seemed to me, therefore, unnecessary to make portraits from any one locality. I fancy the writer looked back to the period of his boyhood and to the people he knew in more than one part of his native country, so I have tried to depict that period and that class of people as I remember them in various counties of his land and mine. A. S. B. The clinkum-clank d Sabbath bells Noo to the hoastin' rookery swells, Noo fainliii laigh in sliady dells, Sounds fat an 1 near, An' through the simmer kintry tells Its tale o' cheer. 2-J Aii noo, to that melodious play, A deidly awn the quiet sway A' ken their solemn holiday, Bestial ait human, The singin' Untie on tlie brae, The restiii ploiiman. 28 He, mair than a the lave o men, His week completit joys to ken; Half-dressed, he daunders out an 1 in, Perplext wi' leisure; An 1 his raxt limbs he 1 // rax again Wi painfu pleesure. 3 2 The steerin* wither strang afit Noo shoos the bairnics but a bit; Noo cries them ben, their Sinday shtiit To scarf upon them, Or sweeties in their pouch to pit, Wi 1 blessings on them. ill '&J2gifcJi!ii :!. i ill' ,i Ll >.,-, The lasses, clean frae tap to taes, Are busked in crunkliri underclacs ; The gartened hose, the weel- filled stays, The nakit shift, A' bleached on bonny greens for days, An' white's the drift. 40 Ati noo to face the kirkward mile : The guidman's hat o dacent style, The blackit shoon, we noo maun fyle As white's the miller: A waefii peety tae, to spile The worth o siller. 44 Our Marget, aye sae keen to crack, Douce-stappin' in tlie stonry track, Her enter alt gonn a' kiltit back Frae snatvy coats, White-atikledf leads the kirkward pack Wi' Danvit Groats. A thocht ahint, in runkled brecks, A spiled wi' lyin by for weeks, The guidman follows closs, aii cleiks The sonsie missis; His sarious face at aince bespeaks The day that this is. 48 And aye an' while we nearer draw To whaur the kirkton lies alaw, Mair necbottrs, comiri saft an' slaw Frae here an' there, The thicker thrang the gate, an caw The stonr in air. 5 2 But hark ! the bells frae nearer clang ; To rowst the slaw, their sides they bang ; Ad see ! black coats already thrang The green kirkyaird ; And at the yett, the chestnuts spang That brocht the laird. The solemn elders at the plate Stand drinkin deep the pride o stale : The practised hands as gash an' great As Lords o 1 Session ; The later named, a wee thing blatc In their expression. 60 The prentit stanes that mark the deid, WC lengthened lip, the sarious read ; Syne ivag a rnoralcesin 1 heid, Ail then aii there Their hirplin 1 practice an their creed Try hard to square. 64 It's here our Merren lang has lain, A wee bewast the table-stane ; An 1 yon's the grave o Sandy Blanc ; Aii further oiver, The withers brithers, dacent men ! Lie a 1 the fower. 68 Here the guidman sail bide awee To dwall amang the deid ; to see Auld faces clear in fancy s e'e ; Belike to hear Auld voices fdin saft an 1 slee On fancy s ear. Thus, on the day o' solemn tilings, The bell that in the steeple swings To fauld a scaittered faintly rings Us walcome screed ; An 1 just a wee thing nearer brings The quick an dcid. 76 But noo the bell is ringiri in ; To tak their places, folk begin ; 80 The minister liimseV zc/77 shilnc Be tip the gate. Filled fu' wi' clavers about sin An man's estate. 84 The tunes are up French, to be s/tiirc. The faithfii French, aii twa-three mair ; The auld prezentor, hoastin' sair, Wales out the portions, An yirks the tune into the air Wi } queer contortions. 88 Follows the prayer, the readin next. An' than the fisslin for the text The twa-three last to find it, vext But kind o proud ; 92 An than the peppermints are raxed, An' southernwood. 96 For nods the time whan pows are seen Nid-noddin 1 like a mandareen ; When tenty mithers stap a preen In sleepin 1 weans ; An 1 nearly half the parochine Forget their pains. There's just a waukrif twa or three : Thrawn commentautors sweer to 'gree, 104 Weans glowriri at the bumliri bee On windie-glasseSj Or lads that tak a keek a-glee At sonsie lasses. 108 Himsel', meanwhile, frae whaur he cocks An 1 bobs belaw the soundin-box, The treesures of his words unlocks WC prodigality, An deals some unco dingiri 1 knocks To infidality. 112 Wi' sappy unction, hoo he burkes The hopes o men that trust in works, Expounds the fau'ts o ithcr kirks, An 1 shaws the best d them No muckle better than mere Turks, When a's confessed o' them. Bethankit ! what a bonny creed! What mair would ony Christian need?- 116 The braw words nimm'le ower his heid, Nor steer the sleeper; 120 And in their restiii graves, the deid Sleep aye the deeper. 124 , -., - T_r^jSk ttS&S&felFJi WORKS BY ROBERT Louis STEVENSON AN INLAND VOYAGE. EDINBURGH : PICTURESQUE NOTES. TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY. VIRGINIBUS PUEK1SQUE. FAMILIAR STUDIES OF MEN AND BOOKS. NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS. TREASURE ISLAND. THE SILVERADO SQUATTKRS. A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES. PRINCE OTTO. THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. KIDNAPPED. THK MERRY MEN. UNDERWOODS. MEMORIES AND PORTRAITS. THE BLACK ARROW. THE MASTER OK BALLANTRAE. FATHER DAM1EN : AN OPEN LETTER. BALLADS. ACROSS THE PLAINS. ISLAND NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS. A FOOTNOTE TO HISTORY. CATKIONA. WEIR OF HF.RMISTON. VAILIMA LETTERS. FABLES. SONGS OF TRAVEL. ST. IVES. IN THE SOUTH SEAS. ESSAYS OF TRAVEL. TALES AND FANTASIES. THE ART OF WRITING. PRAYERS WRITTEN AT VAILIMA. A CHRISTMAS SERMON. WITH MRS. STEVENSON THE DYNAMITER. WITH LLOYD OSBOI/RNE THE WRONG BOX. THE WRECKER. THE EBB-TIDE.