An t'best o' chaps al fynd thersen At times i' t' fawty dlass, A've doubled t'neiv, afoar ta day, At t' fooil i't seemin dlass. Bud twarst o' fawts at a've seen yet, I' woman ur i' man, Is t'weary naagin nengin turn, 'At plagued poor Natterin Nan. A' went one summer afternoin Ta see hur poar owd man, An aadly bed I darkened t'door, When t'worrit thus began: "A-wah did ivver! wot a treat, Ta see thy father's sun, Come forrad lad an sit ta dahn, An al set t' kettle on." "Nay, nay," says ah, "ah'm noan o' them 'At calls at t'time by t'clock;" An bumps em dahn it corner chair, An gloares reyt hard at t'jock. "Tha nontkate witta hod thee tung, He'll sooin be hear I'ce think, Soa if thall sit an leet thee pipe, Ah'll fotch a sope o' drink." "Owd lass," says ah, "thart hey i' bone An rayther low i' beef;" "Ah barn," says shoo, "this year or two, 'Av hed a deal o' grief. "Ah'm nut a wuman 'at oft speyks, Or sings fowk doleful sengs, Bud ah can tell me mind ta thee, Tha knaws wot things belengs. "Tha noaticed ah noan lewked sa staat, An ah can trewly say, Fro t'last back end o' t'year ta nah, A've nut been weel a day. "An wot we sickness, wot we grief, Ah'm doin tha may depend; It's been a weary moild an tew, Bud nah it gets near t'end. "A've bowt all t'sister 'at ah hev A black merina gaan; Fowk thinks ah'm rarely off, but, lad, A'm thenkful 'at ah'm baan. "We' t'world an ivvery thing at's in't, Ah'm crost to that degree, That mony a time i't day ah've pra'd To lig ma doan an dee. "What ah've ta tak fro t'least i't haase Is moar nur flesh can beear, It is'nt just a time be chonce Bud ivvery day i't year. "Noa livin sowl a'top o' t'earth, Wor tried as ah've been tried; There's noabdy bud the Lord an me, 'At knaws what ah've ta bide. "Fro t'wind at t'stomach, t'rewmatism, An tengin pains it goom; Fro coffs an cowds, an t'spine it back, Ah suffer martyrdom. "Bud noabdy pities ma, or thinks Ah'm ailin owt at all; T'poor slave mun tug an tew we t'wark Wolivver shoo can crawl. "An Johnny's t' moast unfeelin brewt 'At ivver ware a heead; He woddunt weg a hand ur fooit If ah wur all bud deead. "It mid'st o' all ah've hed ta dew, That roag wur nivver t'man Ta fotch a coil, or scar a fleg, Ur wesh a pot ur pan. "Fowk says 'ar Sal 'al sooin be wed. Bud t'thowt on't turns ma sick, 'Ah'd rayther hing hur up by t'neck, Ur see her berrid wick. "An if ah new a barn o' mine, Wur born ta lead my life, Ah suddent think it wor a sin Ta stick hur wi' a knife. "Ah've ax'd ar Johnny twenty times Ta bring a sweep ta t' doar, Bud nah, afoar a'll speyk agean, Ah'll sit it t'haase an smoar.