Yorksher Puddin': A Collection of the Most Popular Dialect Stories from the Pen of John HartleyHartley, John
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Yorksher Puddin': A Collection of the Most Popular Dialect Stories from the Pen of John Hartley
Hartley, John
English language -- Dialects -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Fiction
By degrees almost imperceptible, crept in a dislike to her home;--not to
those who owned it, far from it. To her parents she was still loving and
dutiful, but she began to conceive that her own attempts to improve her
appearance, her manner of speaking, and her general carriage, were
strangely at variance with her humble home and its belongings. Happily,
those precepts most potent to restrain any waywardness or wickedness,
had been early instilled into her by her mother, whose quiet christian
life had been her daily example. Her religion was pure and simple, and
she never failed to impress upon Sally the happiness to be derived from
an adherence to the truth, and a faith in the goodness of God.
Years rolled on, and the slightly built girl was developed into the
beautiful woman. She occupied the second position in the work-room, and
her love of dress she was enabled to gratify to its full extent. Many a
young man lingered about the door of the shop at night, in hopes of
catching a smile or some mark of encouragement, but Sally's heart was
free, respectful to all, but showing partiality to none, she passed on
scathless through many temptations that might have proved too strong for
many older than herself.
One night a strange event occurred. As she was hurrying home, and had
arrived within a few yards of the door, she stumbled over some object in
her path, and it was with much difficulty she succeeded in saving
herself from an awkward fall. It was too dark to see what the object
was, but she ran into the house, acquainted her parents with the event,
and accompanied by them bearing a light she returned to see what the
obstacle was. Across the pavement was laid a young man, about her own
age, in a helpless, perhaps a dying state.
"Poor thing! what's th' matter wi' him?" sed her mother; "Tip, lift him
up an' hug him in th' haase, an' see what's to do! He's somebody's poor
lad."
Tip was not quite so strong as he had been, but he was yet strong enough
for the emergency: and lifting up the slim young man, he bore him into
the house and laid him on the longsettle.
"What does ta think is th' matter wi' him?" asked the mother; "Is he
hurt?"
"Noa."
"Why, has he had a fit thinks ta?"
"Aw think he has, an' it'll be some time befoor he comes aat on it, for
its a druffen fit."
"A'a, tha doesn't say soa, Tip! does ta?" "Its ten thaasand pities to
see him i' that state!"
Sally approached him half in fear and half in anxiety, and after
scanning his features, which in spite of the dirt and the drink were yet
handsome, she turned to her father and asked, "What shall we do with
him?"
"We shall be like to tak care on him, lass, wol he sleeps it off aw
expect, for we connot turn him aat, an' if we did th' police wod lock
him up. Awve suffered a deeal i' mi lifetime wi' my lads, but awve niver
seen one on 'em i' that state, an' awd rayther follow 'em to th' grave
nor iver do it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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