Kirkconnel Church and Graveyard

The bronze plaque commemorates Alexander Anderson, a railwayman,
who wrote vernacular poetry under the pseudonym of 'Surfaceman'.

Here is his best-known poem.

The bairnies cuddle doon at nicht
Wi� muckle faucht an� din;
�Oh try and sleep, ye waukrife rogues,
Your faither�s comin� in.�
They never heed a word I speak;
I try to gie a froon,
But aye I hap them up an� cry,
�Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.�

Wee Jamie wi� the curly heid�
He aye sleeps next the wa��
Bangs up an� cries, �I want a piece;�
The rascal starts them a�.
I rin an� fetch them pieces, drinks,
They stop awee the soun�,
Then draw the blankets up an� cry,
�Noo, weanies, cuddle doon.�

But, ere five minutes gang, wee Rab
Cries out, frae �neath the claes,
�Mither, mak� Tam gie ower at ance,
He �s kittlin� wi� his taes.�
The mischief�s in that Tam for tricks,
He �d bother half the toon;
But aye I hap them up and cry,
�Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.�

At length they hear their faither�s fit,
They turn their faces to the wa�,
An�, as he steeks the door,
While Tam pretends to snore.
�Hae a� the weans been gude?� he asks,
As he pits aff his shoon;
�The bairnies, John, are in their beds,
An� lang since cuddled doon.�

An� just afore we bed oorsels,
We look at our wee lambs;
Tam has his airm roun� wee Rab�s neck,
And Rab his airm round Tam�s.
I lift wee Jamie up the bed,
An� as I straik each croon,
I whisper, till my heart fills up,
�Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.�

The bairnies cuddle doon at nicht
Wi� mirth that �s dear to me;
But soon the big warl�s cark an� care
Will quaten doon their glee.
Yet, come what will to ilka ane,
May He who rules aboon
Aye whisper, though their pows be bald,
�Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.�