[Tea-Table Miscellany Contents]
THere was a wife won’d in a glen,
And she had daughters nine or ten,
That sought the house baith but and ben,
To find their mam a snishing.
The auld wife beyont the fire,
The auld wife aniest the fire,
The auld wife aboon the fire,
She died for lack of snishing.
–
II.
Her mill into some hole had fawn,
Whatrecks, quoth she, let it be gawn,
For I maun ha’e a young goodman
Shall furnish me with snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
III.
Her eldest dochter said right bauld,
Fy, mother, mind that now ye’re auld,
And if ye with a yonker wald,
He’ll waste away your snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
IV.
The youngest dochter ga’e a shout,
O mother dear! your teeth’s a’ out,
Besides haff blind, you have the gout,
Your mill can had nae snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
V.
Ye lied, ye limmers, cries auld mump,
For I ha’e baith a tooth and stump,
And will nae langer live in dump,
By wanting of my snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
VI.
Thole ye, says Peg, that pauky slut,
Mother, if you can crack a nut,
Then we will a’ consent to it,
That you shall have a snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
VII.
The auld ane did agree to that,
And they a pistol bullet gat;
She powerfully began to crack,
To won hersell a snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
VIII.
Braw sport it was to see her chow’t,
And ‘tween her gums sae squeez and row’t,
Whilefrae her jaws the slaver flow’d;
And ay she curs’d poor stumpy.
The auld wife, &c.
–
IX.
At last she ga’e a desperate squeez,
Which brak the lang tooth by the neez,
And syne poor stumpy was at ease,
But she tint hopes of snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
X.
She of the task began to tire,
And frae her dochters did retire,
Syne lean d her down ayont the fire,
And died for lack of snishing.
The auld wife, &c.
–
XI.
Ye auld wives notice well this truth,
Assoon as ye’re past mark of mouth,
Ne’er do what’s only fit for youth,
And leave aff thoughts of snishing:
Else like this wife beyont the fire,
Y’r bairns against you will conspire;
Nor will ye get, unless ye hire
A young man with your snishing.
– Old Songs with Additions.
Note, Snishing in its literal meaning is snuff made of Tobacco; but in this song it means sometimes contentment, a husband, love, money, &c.
