Colonial Courtship (1832)
To the Editor of the Colonial Times.MR. EDITOR.--Pray give the following a space in your poet's corner.
--your's &c. SUBSCRIBER.
Elizabeth-street.
An excellent new song, as it ought to be sung, by a Ticket-of-Leave holder.
The Currency Lads may fill their glasses,
And drink the health of the Currency Lasses ;
But the lass I adore, the lass for me,
Is a lass in the Female Factory. O ! Molly's her name, and her name is Molly,
Although she was tried by the name of Polly ;
She was tried and cast for death at Newry,
But the Judge was bribed and so were the Jury. She got "death recorded" in Newry town,
For stealing her mistress's watch and gown ;
Her little boy Paddy can tell you the tale,
His father was turnkey of Newry jail. The first time I saw this comely lass
Was on a Sunday going to mass ;
Says I, "I'll marry you now in an hour !"
Says she, "Arrah! Jasus, but have you the power ?" But I got into trouble that very same night !
Being drunk in the streets I got into a fight ;
A constable seized me--I gave him a box--
And was put in the watch-house and then in the stocks. O ! it's very unaisy as I may remember,
To sit in the stocks in the month of December;
With the north wind so hot, and the hot sun right over,
O ! sure, and it's no place at all for a lover ! "It's worse than the tread-mill," says I, "Mr. Gunn,
To sit here all day in the hate of the sun !"
"Either that or a dollar," says he, "for your folly,"--
But if I had a dollar I'd drink it with Molly. But now I am out again, early and late
I sigh and I cry at the Factory gate,
"O! Mrs. L--grant me this boon,
"Do let my dear Molly come out very soon ?" "Is it Molly M'Guigan ?" says she to me,
"Is it not ?" says I, for she know'd it was she.
"Is it her you mean that was put in the stocks
For beating her mistress, Mrs. Cox ?" "O ! yes and it is, madam, pray let me in,
I have brought her a half-pint of Hackett's best gin,
She likes it as well as she does her old mother,
O ! now let me in, madam, I am her brother." So the Currency Lads may fill their glasses,
And drink the health of the Currency Lasses ;
But the lass I adore, the lass for me,
ls a lass in the Female Factory Notes
From the Tasmanian Newspaper the Colonial Times Aug 1832 p. 3.