winders fair gender
agean. Soa, soa; lend me owd o' that pooaker, aw shall niver be able to
taich thee ha to mend a fire aw do think. Tha should never bray it in
at th' top;--use it kindly mun, tha'll find it'll thrive better; it's
th' same wi' a fire as it is wi' a child--if you're allus brayin' at it
you'll mak it a sad un at th' last, an' niver get nowt but black luks.
But its net mich use talkin' to thee aw con see, for tha'rt ommost
asleep; aw believe if th' thack ud to be blown off tha couldn't keep thi
e'en oppen after ten o'clock; but use is second natur ommost, an' aw
feel rayther sleepy mysen, aw allus do when ther's a wind."

* * * * * * *

In two or three minutes they wor booath hard asleep, but they had't to
sleep long, for ther coom a knock at th' door laad enuff to wakken deeaf
Debra (an shoo couldn't hear thunner). Th' owd man started up an flew
to oppen th' door, an' in stawped a walkin' snow-drift.

"Aw wish yo a merry Kursmiss," he said.

"Thank thi lad; come a bit nearer th' leet. If tha's browt noa better
luk nor tha's browt weather, tha'd better ha stopped at hooam. Who art
ta?"

"Well, its a bonny come off," said th' chap, "when my own uncle connot
own me."

"Its nooan Ezra, is it?" said th' owd woman.

"That's my name, aw believe, aunt," he said.

"Waw, do come an' sit thi daan. Set that kettle on lad, and mak him a
drop o' summat warm; he'll do wi' it."

It worn't long afoor th' new comer wor sat i'th' front o'th' fire,
smookin' a long pipe an' weetin' his whistle ivery nah an then wi' a
drop o' whiskey an' watter.

"Nah lad," said th' owd man, "what news has ta browt? Tha's generally
summut new."

"Aw've nowt mich uts likely to be fresh, aw dooant think," said Ezra.
"Yo'd hear tell abaght that do o' Slinger's aw reckon?"

"Niver a word, lad; what's th' chuffin heead been doin?"

"Well, aw'd better start at th' beginnin' o' my tale, an' as it's
rayther a longish en, you mun draw up to th' fire and mak up yor mind to
harken a bit."

"Yo happen niver knew Molly Momooin? Shoo lived at Coldedge, an' used
to keep one o' them sooart o' spots known i' thease pairts as a whist
shop; yo'll know what that is? Shoo worn't a bad-like woman,
considerin' her age (for shoo wor aboon fifty, an' had been a widdy for
a dozen year), an iver sin her felly deed, shoo'd sell'd small drink
o'th sly (they dooant think its wrang up i' them