, an' she must ha' been nowt
but a slip o' a lass when they wur wed.

"Hows'ever, Rosanna Brent an' me got to be good friends, an' we walked
home together o' nights, an talked about our bits o' wage, an' our bits
o' debt, an' th' way that wench 'ud keep me up i' spirits when I wur
a bit down-hearted about owt, wur just a wonder. She wur so quiet an'
steady, an' when she said owt she meant it, an' she never said too much
or too little. Her brown eyes alius minded me o' my mother, though th'
old woman deed when I were nobbut a little chap, but I never seed 'Sanna
Brent smile th'out thinkin' o' how my mother looked when I wur kneelin'
down sayin' my prayers after her. An' bein' as th' lass wur so dear to
me, I made up my mind to ax her to be summat dearer. So once goin' home
along wi' her, I takes hold o' her hand an' lifts it up an' kisses it
gentle--as gentle an' wi' summat th' same feelin' as I'd kiss th' Good
Book.

"''Sanna,' I says, 'bein' as yo've had so much trouble wi' yo're first
chance, would yo' be afeard to try a second? Could yo' trust a mon
again? Such a mon as me, 'Sanna?'

"'I wouldna be feart to trust thee, Tim,' she answers back soft an'
gentle after a manner. 'I wouldna be feart to trust thee any time.'

"I kisses her hand again, gentler still.

"'God bless thee, lass,' I says. 'Does that mean yes?'

"She crept up closer to me i' her sweet, quiet way.

"'Aye, lad,' she answers. 'It means yes, an' I'll bide by it.'

"'An' tha shalt never rue it, lass,' said I 'Tha's gi'en thy life to me,
an' I'll gi' mine to thee, sure and true.'

"So we wur axed i' th' church th' next Sunday, an' a month fro then we
wur wed, an' if ever God's sun shone on a happy mon, it shone on one
that day, when we come out o' church together--me and Rosanna--an'
went to our bit o' a home to begin life again. I coujdna tell thee,
Mester--theer beant no words to tell how happy an' peaceful we lived fur
two year after that. My lass never altered her sweet ways, an' I
just loved her to make up to her fur what had gone by. I thanked
God-a'-moighty fur his blessing every day, and every day I prayed to
be made worthy of it. An' here's just wheer I'd like to ax a question,
Mester, about sum m at 'ats worretted me a good deal. I dunnot want to
question th' Maker, but I would loike to know how it is 'at sometime
it seems 'at we're clean forgot--as if He couldna fash hissen about
our troubles, an' most loike left 'em to work out thei