Yorkshire Tales. Third Series: Amusing sketches of Yorkshire Life in the Yorkshire DialectHartley, John
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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 noa trubble, Sammywell, an aw wodn't care owt abaat trubble if
tha'd nobbut try an behave thisen, an net spaik to me i'th way tha does.
Awm sewer sometimes, when tha gets into one o' thi tantrums aw feel as
if ther wor nowt left for me to live for. If tha'd nobbut try to reform
a bit,--if tha'd be as tha used to be forty or fifty year sin, aw should
be th' happyest woman within saand o'th taan hall chimes. Get that into
thi an tha'll happen feel better. Aw mun goa becoss its weshin day, an
aw've an extra wesh, for awr Hepsabah's sent all Jerrymier's clooas at
he's worn for this last fortnit, an he does mucky a seet o' brats an
stuff."
"Jerrymier agean! What the duce has ta to do wi weshin Jerrymier's
clooas! Let her wesh em hersen. Aw've just studden this wol awm
stall'd!"
"Thear tha goas agean! If onnybody says a word to thee tha flies off in
a passhion. Aw know what awr poor Hepsabah has to do an tha doesn't.
Tha'd nivver ha gooan on like that when we wor wed at furst."
"Noa! but ther wor noa Jerrymier then!"
"Ther'd ha been noa Jerrymier nah if it hadn't ha been for thee. Tha
cannot get ovver th' fact 'at tha'rt his gronfather. But aw mun be off
for standin tawkin to thee willn't get th' clooas weshed."
"It's a drop o' rare gooid teah is this,--aw wonder if shoo's mixed it
hersen, if net shoo should allus buy at that shop. Aw dooant think
ther's a chap onnywhear 'at's a better wife nor aw've getten, an aw
can't help thinkin sometimes at aw dooant treeat her just as aw owt to
do. Aw think it's abaat time aw altered things. Shoo wants me to reform,
an do as aw used to do when we wor wed at furst. Well, aw can hardly
manage that, but aw remember th' time 'at aw used to mak a gooid bit a
fuss on her, an used to spaik moor lovinly like. Awm blessed if aw
dooant try it on agean! If a little thing like that'll suit her, shoo's
worthy on it an shoo shall have it. Aw've had a gooid braikfast, an aw
could ha supt a gallon o' that teah if awd had it.--It's th' weshin day,
an aw used to give her a help sometimes, an aw'll do it agean."
When Sammywell gate daan staars th' place wor full o' steeam an th'
smell o' sooapsuds, but he didn't put on his hat an goa aght, but he
crept up cloise beside her an slippin his arm raand her waiste, he sed,
"Mally, lass, connot aw help thi a bit?"
"What are ta up to nah! Aw know thy tricks ov old! Tha thinks tha can
put thi hand i' mi pocket an tak th' last shillin we have i'th haase!
But awm too old fashioned for thi. Ger aght o' this hoil or aw'll claat
thi ovver thi heead wi this blanket!"
"Nay, lass, aw dooant like to see thee tewin like this an me dooin nowt,
let's help thi a bit."
"It's little aw'll gie for sich help as thine! If tha comes here to
reckon to help me, tha'll want payin for it twice ovver."
"Why, Mally love, if tha'll gie me a kuss aw'll turn th' wringin machine
for thi wol tha's done."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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