hen he saw at th' donkey's
tail wor missin'. It had dissolved partnership wi' Testy an' gooan to
realms aboon. Maybe it'll fessen it sen on to some little star an' mak a
comet on't.

Chairley an Testy stud lukkin' at one another for a gooid five minnits,
an' at last Chairley sed, "Well Testy, tha caan't blame me; aw dooant
think thi appearance is mich improved, but still, tha must admit at tha
arn't as mich of a donkey nah as tha wor when aw gate tha. It seems to
me we'd better pairt, for we dooan't get on soa weel together; awl sell
mi stock an't panniers, an' thee an ivverything; aw shall ha' to sell'
em wholesale though, for aw cannot re-tail thee. But awl promise tha one
thing, whenivver aw fly a kite ageean, awl remember mi donkey's tail."

Just then, Testy's knees begun to tremmle, his body rock'd from side to
side; he luk'd at Chairley as mich as to say, "assassin," an rowled
ovver brokkenhearted; an', withaght a struggle, he breathed his last
sigh to th' tune of "Good bye, Chairley, when aw'm away, dunnot forget
your Testimonial."

Five Paand Nooat.

Aw remember th' first time at aw iver had a five paand nooat, an' awm
like as if aw can see it yet. It worn't a new en, it wor one 'at had
gooan throo a gooid monny hands,--it wor soft an' silky to th' touch,
an' it wor yeller wi age, an' th' edges wor riven a bit, an it had a
split up th' middle, whear it had been cut i' two at some time an' stuck
together agean wi a bit o' postage stamp paper. Aw remember at that time
aw used to sleep up in a garret, all bi mysen, an' th' walls wor covered
wi bits o' pictures, an' shelves wor stuck up here an' thear, filled wi
bottles o' all maks o' stuff, an' aw'd an old box 'at aw could lock up
whear aw kept some pipes an bacca, an' owt else at aw darn't let awr
fowk know 'at aw had, an' carefully put away under th' bed wor another
little box whear aw kept cannels. Awm just th' same as if aw can see
mysen nah, as aw wor then, sat daan oth edge oth bed an' th' five paand
nooat on th' table anent me, studdyin what to buy. Aw varily believe 'at
aw bowt one hauf oth taan o' Halifax, i' mi mind, before aw went
to sleep; an aw didn't goa to sleep soa easily that neet as usual,
for after aw'd put th' cannel aght, aw bethowt me 'at skyleet mud be
left unfastened, an' soa aw had to get up an see. When aw'd getten to
bed agean aw felt sewer aw could hear summat stir under th' bed, an' aw
listened for a long time an' then aw fe