a minit
befoor. Aw dooant know whether ivver yo've been hit at top oth heead wi
a old-fashioned umbrella or net, but if yo have, yo know it's nooan a
varry pleasant thing, for it seems to strike you i' three or four places
at once. Whether th' owd chap hit me in a mistak or he did it o' purpose
awve niver had th' chance to find aght, for things seem'd to get a gooid
deeal mixt just abaat that that time, an all aw know is 'at awve been i'
bed for ommost a wick, an awm soa stiff yet wol aw can hardly stir. One
hawf o' mi heead is covered wi stickin' plaister, an awm covered wi
black an blue marks throo mi neck to mi knees. As aw sit at th' winder
suppin' mi gruel, aw can hear th' rows gooin on across th' street just
as usual, an if they keep at it wol aw interfere agean they willn't have
to drop it just yet, for it's towt me 'at it's best to let fowk feight
ther own battles, for when it's nobbut one to one they've booath a
chonce, but when it's two to one it's vary oft rough for th' one.

Awr Emma--A False Alarm.

"Aw dooan't know what tha thinks abaat it, Isaac, but aw know ther's
summat nooan reight. Aw went to see awr Emma last neet, an' shoo doesn't
luk a bit like hersen: an' if shoo hadn't been rooarin' awl nivver trust
mi een agean. It's some sooart o' bother shoo's havin' wi' yond felly o'
hers, depend on't. Aw warned her enuff befoar shoo gate wed, an' tawk'd
to her wol aw wor fair stall'd, but nowt 'ud do but shoo mud have him,
an' if shoo hasn't getten her hands full aw'm capt."

"Why, lass, aw dooan't know what reason tha has for sayin' soa, for aw'm
sewer they seem varry comfortable together, an' aw've nivver heeard her
say a word agean him, an' he seems as steady as old gold. Shoo wor
happen low spirited last neet, or had a bit o' th' heead wark."

"Tha needn't try to lap it up; aw can guess eggs when aw see shells, an'
aw know as well as if shoo'd tell'd me wi' her own lips 'at ther's
summat at's nooan reight. Shoo's far too gooid for him, an' aw all us
sed soa, an' if shoo'd ha' ta'en my advice shoo'd ha' waited wol shoo'd
met wi' som'dy fitter for her. But shoo's thy temper to nowt, an' if
shoo sets her mind on a thing, it's noa moor use tawkin' to her nor
spittin' aght. Aw'm nooan soa mich up o' theas chaps 'at's as steady as
old gold: they're varry oft moor decaitful bi th' hauf, an' when aw come
to think on it, aw remember he didn't behave just as aw could ha' liked
him if he'd just been wed