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
Ther's summat for yo to think abaat, an let th' July sunshine enter into
yor hearts. It'll help to chase away th' claads o' care, an maybe,
buried hooaps may yet blossom into a harvest ov happiness an joy.
Fortun, they say knocks once at ivvery man's door, but varry oft th' man
doesn't happen to be in, an i' that case he sends his dowter, but ther's
nubdy getten a welcome for Miss Fortun, but once shoo gets in, shoo's a
beggar to stick. Better try to mak friends wi th' old man.
Earnin' a Honest Penny.
Sarah's that agravatin' sometimes, wol aw feel as if it wod do me gooid
to hav a reight swear at her--an' aw should do it, if it wornt for th'
fact at awr Tom's wed a lass at has a uncle 'at's a deacon at a chapil,
an' when a chaps respectably connected like that, aw think its as weel
to be a bit careful ov his tawk.
Nah aw'll gie yo a' instance, awd had a five bob bet on wi' a chap
called Uriah Lodge, it wor abaat hah mich a pig he wor baan to kill wod
weigh when it wor dressed, an' aw won. Uriah promised to pay mi o' Sundy
mornin', but insteead o' th' brass, ther coom'd a letter throo him to
say 'at he'd been havin' a tawk wi' a district visitor abaat it, an this
chap had soa convinced him o' th' evils o' bettin', 'at he'd decided at
he wodn't pay me, for if he did it wod do violence to his conshuns, but
if aw liked he'd send mi a fry o' pigs livver asteead. "Conshuns," aw
sed, "it's mooar like at it'll do violence to his britches pockets, aw
willn't have onny ov his muky pigs livver."
"What's to do nah," Sarah axed.
Soa aw tell'd her all abaat it, an ov cooarse aw expected at shoo'd side
wi' me,--but noa, shoo sed,
"Awm sewer aw respect Uriah for th' cooarse he's pursuin', aw hooap
it'll be a lesson to yo--what wor yo baan to do wi' th' brass?"
"Aw wor baan to buy a paand o' bacca wi' it," aw sed. Then shoo started
abaat bettin', an' horse racin', an' smookin', an' aw dooant know what
moor--yo'd a thowt aw wor th' warst chap i' all Maant Pleasant if yo'd
heeard her: an' shoo ended up wi' sayin' 'at shoo wished awd be a bit
mooar like a chap 'at lives next door to us called Martin Robertshaw.
"He doesn't bet," shoo sed, "he doesn't smook, hes a daycent gradely lad
is Martin, he wor off at hawf past eight this mornin' daan to th' Sundy
Schooil--yo'll nivver catch him drinkin' at public haases an' bettin'
abaat deead pigs--his missis is a lucky woman if ivver ther wor one."
Its noa use i' th' world tawkin' to Sarah when shoo gets reight on, soa
aw nivver spake a word wol shoo'd finished, an' then aw sed,
"Have yo finished yor sarmon, missis?"
"Yes," shoo went on, "it's noa gooid tawkin' to sich as yo, it's nobbut
wastin' breeath, yo'll goa yor own gate aw expect i' spite o' all aw can
say."
"Well," says I, "it's hawf past twelve, lets have us dinners for awm dry
after this storm, an' as its a fine day we'll goa up to th' top o'
Beacon Hill for a walk an' see th' view o' th' taan."
Soa we had us dinner an set off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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