this minit!"
"What's th' stickin' plaister an' all this stuff for?". sed Isaac.
"Tha'll see what it's for sooin enuff! A'a, aw wish sometimes aw'd
flivver been born! It's a bonny come off to bring childer into th' world
an' keep' em an' luk after' em till they grow up to be treated war nor
dogs!"
Isaac shov'd th' stuff into his pockets an' wor off after her as sooin
as he could, for shoo'd stirred him up a bit, an' he gript his walkin'
stick an' pooled his hat ovver his een as mich as to say he thowt it
high time to let fowk know what they wor abaat. As sooin as they gate
i'th' seet o'th' haase he sed, "Ther's noa fowk abaat that's one
blessin'; if ther's been a row they must ha' been varry quite abaat it."
"Shoo'd niver utter a word if shoo wor to be riven i' bits, shoo's too
mich like me for that, A'a, aw little thowt aw should ivver have to come
o' sich o' eearand as this!"
They didn't stop to knock, but oppen'd th' door, an' thear they saw Bob
an' Emma sittin' at th' teah-table lukkin' as cheerful an' as happy as
could be.
"Come in, booath on yo'," sed Emma, "Yo'r just i' time for a cup o'
teah. We didn't expect yo' quite as sooin, but yo'r allus welcome."
"Why yond lass tha sent coom wi' sich a tale wol we wor sewer ther' munt
be summat serious to do, an' we started off withaat wastin' a minit."
"Aw'm glad yo've com'd," sed Bob, "We've getten summat to show yo', but
yo' mun have a cup o' teah furst."
"What have aw to do wi' all this stickin' plaister an' stuff?" sed
Isaac.
"Can't ta keep it i' thi pocket an' say nowt apaat it, softheead! Tha
wants a piece on it across thi macth."
"Whativver made yo' bring stickin' plaister, mother, yo' sewerly didn't
think ther'd been ony feightin'?"
"Does fowk nivver want ony stickin' plaister nobbut when they've been
feightin'? Ha could aw tell but what one o' yo' had tummel'd onto th'
foire, or getten scalded or summat? Thi father browt it, it wor nooan o'
me."
"Eea, aw browt it, but--"
"But--Tha can hold thi noise an' tak' it back, for if ther'd been ony
use for it tha'd ha' been sewer to ha' forgetten it. But let's
see what this thing is 'at tha's sent for us to luk at, for aw can get
noa drinkin' unless aw know what it is."
"Well, come yo're ways into this raam," sed Emma, "Here it is, an' tell
me what yo' think on it."
"Why aw'l be shot if it isn't a sewin' machine! An' a grand en it is;
but ha' mich have yo' to give for it?"
"Ther's
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