rer nor mooast lads ov his age.

Dooant run away wi th' idea at he wor a fine young gentleman, for he wor
nobbut a country lad, for he'd been browt up in a country place amang
country fowk, but he wor one o'th better sooart, an amang th' naybors
wor considered a bit ov a swell.

What trade to put him to bothered his mother aboon o' bit. Shoo could ha
liked to ha made him into a doctor or a parson, or shoo wodn't have
objected to startin him as th' president ov a bank, but sich things cost
brass an shoo wor varry poor. He could ha liked to ha been a sowger, but
he worn't big enuff, an sailerin didn't suit his stummack. At last he
had to be content to get into a grocer's shop as a lad abaat, and he wor
sixteen bi this time.

Th' maister sooin tuk a fancy to him, for he worked hard an steady, an
befoor he'd been thear a month he wor put behind th' caanter to wait on
customers. His mother wor ovverjoyed at this, an altho shoo wornt one
o'th biggest or best customers, ther wor nubdy went ofter to th' shop.
If shoo nobbut wanted two articles shoo went twice for em, an shoo wor
nivver in a hurry to get sarved, for the biggest pleasur shoo'd ivver
known wor to watch Chairley deal aght punds o' sewgar an cakes o' sooap.

But ther's noa pleasur i' this world at isn't mixt wi some pain, an it
wor soa i' her case. One day as shoo wor watchin him sarve a lass wi a
rasher o' bacon, an saw th' way he smiled at her an shoo tittered back
at him, struck her for th' furst time, at th' day might come when he'd
be somdy else's Chairley, an shoo'd hay to tak a back seeat.

When shoo went hooam shoo could think abaat nowt else, an shoo set
studyin abaat it soa long, at when he coom hooam to his supper ther wor
nowt ready for him, an th' foir wor aght.

"What's to do, mother?" he sed, "arn't yo weel or have yo nobbut just
getten hooam?"

"A'a, lad," shoo sed,--lukkin raand suspiciously, as if shoo wor feeard
he'd browt some lass wi him,--"aw dooant know what's to do. Aw just set
me daan to think a bit at time's flown by withaat me nooaticin it. Has
ta come straight hooam?"

"Hi,--aw allus coom straight hooam when mi wark's done."

"An did ta coom bi thisen all th' way?"

"Ov coorse aw coom bi misen. Did yo want me to fotch somdy wi mi?"

"Nay, lad. Aw hooap that day's far distant when tha'll bring onnybody
here to tak thi mother's place. Who wor that forrad young thing at tha
wor sellin that rasher o' bacon to when aw wor i'th shop