Th' expectant wee-things, toddlin, stacher[11] through
To meet their dad, wi' flichterin'[12] noise and glee.
His wee bit ingle,[13] blinkin bonilie,[14]
His clean hearth-stane,[15] his thrifty wine's smile,
The lisping infant prattling on his knee, 25
Does a' his weary kiaugh and care beguile,[16]
And makes him quite forget his labor and his toil,

Belyve the elder bairns come drapping in,[17]
At service out, amang the farmers roun';
Some ca'[18] the pleugh, some herd, some tentie rin 30
A cannie errand to a neebor town:[19]
Their eldest hope, their Jenny, woman grown,
In youthfu' bloom, love sparkling in her e'e,[20]
Comes hame, perhaps, to shew a braw[21] new gown,
Or deposite her sair-won penny-fee,[22] 35
To help her parents dear, if they in hardship be.

With joy unfeigned brothers and sisters meet,
And each for other's weelfare kindly spiers:[23]
The social hours, swift-winged, unnoticed fleet;
Each tells the uncos[24] that he sees or hears. 40
The parents, partial, eye their hopeful years;
Anticipation forward points the view;
The mother wi' her needle and her sheers[25]
Gars auld claes look amaist as weel 's the new;[26]
The father mixes a' wi' admonition due. 45

Their master's and their mistress's command
The younkers[27] a' are warned to obey;