HA A DEEAD DONKEY TOWT A LESSON 145 



ft llics wants; — its all varry weel to sit nigglin away wi a needle an thread, stickinbits 

 opooasies into cap screeds an stitchiu moinshiue, but wben a felly wants a wife, be 

 wants someJy at can brew, an bake, an scaar th flur, why aw could whip raand banf a 

 dozen sich like to mi thinkin, an when aw see her screwin up her maath an dutchin an 

 settin her cap at ivery chap shoo sees, it maks my blooiJ fair boil in me, an awm 

 ' ' if ther is a young chap abaght, shoos wur nur a worm ov a whoot backstun. 



Odd-drahbit-it ! it caps me at fowk have noa more sense nor to invite sich like 

 to a pairty; — but ha are ta off for clooas Zantippa ? Con ta leean me a undercoit ? 



Nay lass awm sooary to say aw connot, for th last doo aw wor at, aw had to 

 borrow one o Susy, but awve getten one sin then but aw connot spare it. 



Aw wonder if Susy nd leean it me said Betty; Aw hardly like to ax her for tha 

 sees aw didntgive her thjob o makin yond cap. — Thas seen my new cap hasntta ? 



" Eea, aw saw thi have it -on totber day," 



"Well, aw call it a nobby en ; —but awd better nut waste ony time, soa aw'U 

 goa to Susy's an' see if I con borrow yond coit ; shoo can nobbut say •' Noa." An' 

 away went Bettty. "An' its to be hoaped she will say 'noa' said Zantippa, for 

 if tha gets it shoo'll ha to luk sharp aght if iver shoo sees th' edge on it agean. 

 Aw'd leean thee nowt unless awd made up my mind to pairt wi' it. Aw dooant think 

 mich o' Susy, but shoo's worth a barrow looad sich as thee. Bith heart ! tha'd ma' a 

 daycent looad for a barrow thisen, an' if all's true aw've heeard its nut long sin tha wor 

 one an' had a Bobby for a coachman. But that's nowt to me. He gow ! its turned 

 o' twelve o'clock, an' my chap an childer'll be hooam to th' dinner, Consarn it ! aw 

 hate to live amang a lot o' gossipin fowk sich as ther is abaght here, noa body can 

 get to do owt. Be hanged I if th' fire isn t aght ! an' aw expect it'll ta me as long 

 ageean to leat it oss a'^'m in a hurry, — thers niver nowt done reight when a body's 

 in a fullock. Aw wish ther tea drinkins wor far enuff; aw declare aw'd rayther sail 

 across th'salt seea nor be put into sich a moild as this, — yond's th'bell, an' they'll be 

 here in a minit. A 'a dear ! a woman's wark's niver done, 



•' Aw think it niver is done be th' luk on it " said Dick as he stept into th' 

 haase " ha is it ther's noa dinner ready ? Its wnr nor th' wesbin day.'' 



Dinner ! ! Tha may weel ax abaght th' dinner said Zantippa, doesn't ta 

 see at th' place is full o' rick ? Aw dooant know what tha means to do, but if we 

 cannot have that chitnley altered aw know one 'ats baan to flit — a woman may work 

 her fingers to th' booan an' niver be noa better ! " 



" Aw niver knew at it did smook afoor, bat this foirs nobbut jast lit, whats ta 

 been dooin bagbt foir ? 



Foir !— does ta want me to be smoord ? Its grand foryo at con walk aght to 

 your wark as soon as yo get up, an just come in to your meals, an aght agean, — but 

 yo niver think o whats to come o me ats to tew amang it thro morn to neet- 



Why lass, ha is it at it niver smooks ov a Sunday ? 



Ha con aw tell gurt madJlin ! tha mun ax it. Cant one o yo childer get 

 th bellows an blow a bit, or are yo baan to stand thear wi your fingers i your maath 

 woU aw fair drop ? But it 11 nut alius be soa, yoll get my heead ligg d low some day, 

 au then yoll have to shift for your sen. 



