Yorkshire Tales. Third Series: Amusing sketches of Yorkshire Life in the Yorkshire DialectHartley, John
General
Yorkshire Tales. Third Series: Amusing sketches of Yorkshire Life in the Yorkshire Dialect
Hartley, John
English language -- Dialects -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Fiction
"It's varry gooid o' thee, Mally, to offer to buy me a new hat, but aw
railly dooant want one. Yond hat o' mine is as gooid as new for aw
havn't had it on a duzzen times. Tha knows aw nivver wear it nobbut when
aw goa to th' chapel. It isn't aboon twelve month sin aw gave ten
shilling for it."
"It's soa much bigger shame for thi to tell it. It shows ha oft tha goes
to a place o' worship. A fine example tha sets to Jerrymier an th' rest
o' thi gron-childer. But awd have thee to know at tha'rt net as young as
tha used to be, an its abaat time tha wor thinkin o' thi latter end. Tha
may be deead an burried befoor long an tha owt to prepare."
"Why, tha sewerly doesn't meean to bury me in a silk hat?"
"Noa, aw dooant think awst ivver have th' luck to bury thi at all! But
aw want thi to begin an goa to th' chapel reglar, an let Mistress
Swindle see at her husband isn't th' only one at can turn aght like a
gentleman."
"Tha'll be like to pleeas thisen abaat it, but aw thowt it wor me tha
wor praad on an net mi hat."
"Tha gets some strange nooations into thi heead, Sammywell. If ther's
owt abaat thi for onny woman to be praad on awm sewer aw dooant know
whear it is. But as sooin as tha's finished thi pipe aw want thi to get
shaved, an put on thi best Sundy suit an goa wi me into Westgate an get
a new hat--one o'th best ther is i'th shop, if it taks all th' brass aw
have i' mi pocket. Aw'll let Mistress Swindle see at shoo connot crow
ovver me!"
Soa Sammywell went aght to be shaved, an Mally began to get ready to goa
wi him, as sooin as he should be all fixed up to suit her.
"Nah, Sammywell," sed Mally, as sooin as they wor ready to set off, "Aw
dunnot want thee to say a word when we get to th' shop. Aw'll do what
tawkin has to be done, an if aw connot get thee a better hat nor that
tha has on thi heead, and one to seem thi better, aw shall know th'
reason why. Aw can hardly fashion to walk daan th' street wi thi, but it
isn't varry far an we happen shalln't meet onnybody we know."
When they walked into th' shop, Mally went up to th' caanter and sed,
"Young man,--aw want to buy a new silk top hat, latest fashion, best
quality, price noa object, if its under ten shillin, to suit this
elderly gentleman, an luk sharp abaat it, for we're prepared to pay
ready brass."
"Certainly, maam," an he sooin had two or three ready for him to try on.
"How will this suit?--latest style."
"That willn't do at all. It maks him luk like a pill doctor. He wants a
chapel-gooin hat."
"Well, here's the very thing. Just the style for an old man."
"Then aw dooant want it! He's net an old man! He's noa older nor yo'll
be if yo live as long. Why, that maks him luk like a local praicher aght
o' wark!"
"How will this suit? This style is very much worn."
"Aw dooant want one at's been worn. Noa second hand hats for me."
Th' shopman didn't loise his patience, but tried one after another wol
th' caanter wor piled up wi hats, but nooan on em suited.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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