L AL Dinah Grayson’s fresh, fewsome, an’ free, Wid a lilt iv her step an’ a glent iv her e’e; She glowers ebbem at mÉ whativer I say An’ meÀstly mak’s answer wid “M’appen I may!” “M’appen I may,” she says, “m’appen I may; Thou thinks I believe the’, an’ m’appen I may!” Gay offen, when Dinah I mannish to meet O’ M?ndays, i’t’ market i’ Cockerm’uth street, I whisper “Thou’s nicer nor owte here to day,” An’ she cocks up her chin an’ says, “M’appen I may! M’appen I may, my lad, m’appen I may; There’s nowte here to crack on, an’ m’appen I may!” She’s smart oot o’ dooars—she’s tidy i’t’ hoose; Snod as a mowdy-warp—sleek as a moose. I’ blue goon, i’ black goon, i’ green goon or grey, I tell her she’s reeght, an’ git “M’appen I may!” “M’appen I may,” she’ll say, “m’appen I may, Thou kens lal aboot it, but m’appen I may!” There’s n?t mickle on her,—we ken ’at gud stuff Laps up i’ lal bundles, an’ she’s lal aneuf; There’s nowte aboot Dinah were better away But her comical2 ower-w?rd “M’appen I may.” “M’appen I may,” it’s still, “m’appen I may.” Whativer yan wants yan gits “m’appen I may!” An’ it shaps to be smittal; whoariver I gang, I can’t tell a stwory—I can’t sing a sang— I can’t hod a crack, nay!—I can’t read nor pray Widout bringin’ in her dang’t “M’appen I may.” “M’appen I may,” it c?ms, “m’appen I may;” Asteed of Amen, I say “m’appen I may.” But she met me ya neeght aside Pards’aw Lea yatt— I tock her seÀf heÀm, but I keep’t her oot leÀt, An’ offen I said i’ my oan canny way, “Will t’É like me a lal bit?”—“Whey,—M’appen I may! M’appen I may, Harry—m’appen I may; Thou’s rayder a hoaf-thick, but m’appen I may!” I prist her to wed mÉ—I said I was pooar, But eddlin aneuf to keep hung-er frayt’ dooar. She leuk’t i’ my feÀce, an’ than, hoaf turn’t away, She hung doon her heid an’ said “M’appen I may! M’appen I may”—(low doon)—“m’appen I may, I think thou means fairly, an’ m’appen I may.” We’re hingin’ i’t’ bell reÀps3—to t’ parson I’ve toak’t, An’ I gev him a hint as he maffelt an’ jwoak’t, To mind when she sud say “love, honour, OBEY,” ’At she doesn’t slip through wid her “M’appen I may.” M’appen I may, may be—m’appen I may, But we moont put up than wid a “m’appen I may.” |