At peace day, who but we should goo
To Caundle vor an' hour or two:
As gay a day as ever broke
Above the heads o' Caundle vo'k,
Vor peace, a-come vor all, did come
To them wi' two new friends at hwome.
Zoo while we kept, wi' nimble peaece,
The wold dun tow'r avore our feaece,
The air, at last, begun to come
Wi' drubbens ov a beaeten drum;
An' then we heaerd the horns' loud droats
Play off a tuen's upper notes;
An' then ageaen a-risen cheaerm
Vrom tongues o' people in a zwarm:
An' zoo, at last, we stood among
The merry feaeces o' the drong.
An' there, wi' garlands all a-tied
In wreaths an' bows on every zide,
An' color'd flags, a fluttren high
An' bright avore the sheenen sky,
The very guide-post wer a-drest
Wi' posies on his eaerms an' breast.
At last, the vo'k zwarm'd in by scores
An' hundreds droo the high barn-doors,
To dine on English feaere, in ranks,
A-zot on chairs, or stools, or planks,
By bwoards a-reachen, row an' row,
Wi' cloths so white as driven snow.
An' while they took, wi' merry cheer,
Their pleaeces at the meat an' beer,
The band did blow an' beaet aloud
Their merry tuens to the crowd;
An' slowly-zwingen flags did spread
Their hangen colors over head.
An' then the vo'k, wi' jay an' pride,
Stood up in stillness, zide by zide,
Wi' downcast heads, the while their friend
Rose up avore the teaeble's end,
An' zaid a timely greaece, an' blest
The welcome meat to every guest.
An' then arose a mingled naise
O' knives an' pleaetes, an' cups an' trays,
An' tongues wi' merry tongues a-drown'd
Below a deaf'nen storm o' sound.
An' zoo, at last, their worthy host
Stood up to gi'e em all a twoast,
That they did drink, wi' shouts o' glee,
An' whirlen eaerms to dree times dree.
An' when the bwoards at last wer beaere
Ov all the cloths an' goodly feaere,
An' froth noo longer rose to zwim
Within the beer-mugs sheenen rim,
The vo'k, a-streamen drough the door,
Went out to geaemes they had in store
An' on the blue-reaev'd waggon's bed,
Above his vower wheels o' red,
Musicians zot in rows, an' play'd
Their tuens up to chap an' maid,
That beaet, wi' playsome tooes an' heels,
The level ground in nimble reels.
An' zome ageaen, a-zet in line,
An' starten at a given sign,
Wi' outreach'd breast, a-breathen quick
Droo op'nen lips, did nearly kick
Their polls, a-runnen sich a peaece,
Wi' streamen heaeir, to win the reaece.
An' in the house, an' on the green,
An' in the shrubb'ry's leafy screen,
On ev'ry zide we met sich lots
O' smilen friends in happy knots,
That I do think, that drough the feaest
In Caundle, vor a day at leaest,
You woudden vind a scowlen feaece
Or dumpy heart in all the pleaece.