The Squire of Sandal-Side: A Pastoral RomanceBarr, Amelia E.
General
The Squire of Sandal-Side: A Pastoral Romance
Barr, Amelia E.
Pastoral fiction
After a while he began looking hard at all the stones and crags he
came to; and then he took to breaking lumps off them with a queer
little hammer he had with him, and stuffing the bits into the bags
that Joe was carrying. He fairly capped Joe then. He couldn't tell
what to make of such a customer. At last Joe asked him why ever he
came so far up the fell for little bits of stone, when he might get
so many down in the dales? He laughed, and went on knapping away
with his little hammer, and said he was a jolly-jist.
"Geologist she means, Charlotte."
"Of course; but Agnes spells it 'jolly-jist.'"
"Agnes ought to know better. She waited table frequently, and must have
heard the word pronounced. Go on, Charlotte."
He kept on at this feckless work till late in the afternoon, and by
that time he had filled both bags full with odd bits of stone. Joe
said he hadn't often had a harder darrack after sheep at
clipping-time than he had after that old man, carrying his leather
bags. But, however, they got back to our house, and mother gave the
stranger some bread and milk; and after he had taken it, and talked
with father about sheep-farming and such like, he paid Joe his five
shillings like a man, and told him he would give him another five
shillings if he would bring his bags full of stones down to
Skeàl-Hill by nine o'clock in the morning.
"Are you sleepy Sophy?"
"Oh, dear, no! Go on."
Next morning Joe took the bags, and started for Skeàl-Hill. It was
another hot morning; and he hadn't gone far till he began to think
that he was as great a fool as the jolly-jist to carry broken
stones to Skeàl-Hill, when he could find plenty on any road-side
close to the place he was going to. So he shook them out of the
bags, and stepped on a gay bit lighter without them. When he got
near to Skeàl-Hill he found old Abraham Atchisson sitting on a
stool, breaking stones to mend roads with; and Joe asked him if he
could fill his leather bags from his heap. Abraham told Joe to take
them that wasn't broken if he wanted stones; so Joe told him how it
was, and all about it. The old man was like to tottle off his stool
with laughing, and he said, "Joe take good care of thysen'; thou
art over sharp to live very long in this world; fill thy bags, and
make on with thee."
"Don't you remember old Abraham, Sophy? He built the stone dyke at the
lower fold."
"No, I do not remember, I think."
"You are getting sleepy. Shall I stop?"
"No, no; finish the letter."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account