he said
it wor all vanity; an as he wanted to settle daan an leead a quiet life,
he tuk a beershop, an nah he amuses hiss en an his customers wi sittin'
at th' end oth langsettle an tellin' his experience, an if one hawf o'
what he says is true, when he dees he owt to be put under a glass shade
an stuck ith Halifax museum.

Owd Moorcock.

It's monny a long year sin what awm gooin to tell tuk place, but aw
remember it as weel as if it wor yesterday. He wor a queer sooart ov a
chap, wor owd Drake, an although some laft at him, an considered him an
oddity, ther wor a gooid deeal moor 'at believed him to be a born
genius. He wor a cobbler bi trade, an a varry gooid cobbler too, tho'
he'd nivver sarved his time to it; an altho' he'd had two or three gooid
chonces o' startin' business ith' taan, yet he allus shook his heead, an
sed he'd rayther goa on as he wor a bit longer. Th' fact wor he loved
his liberty, an he'd getten a noashun 'at if he left his little hooam i'
th' country, he'd leeav his freedom wi it. An it's hardly to be wondered
at, for his snug cot lukt th' pictur' o' comfort. It wor a one-stooary
buildin' wi a straw thack, an all th' walls wor covered wi honeysuckle
an' jessamine, an th' windows could hardly be seen for th' green leaves
'at hung as a veil i' th' front on 'em. Stooan-crop an haaseleek had
takken up a hooam i' th' gutter, an th' chimley wor ommost hid wi ivy.
It wor a queer-shaped place altogether--all nucks an corners--But it
wor just what suited David. They called him David Drake, tho' he wor
known best as Owd Moorcock. I' th' front wor a nice bit o' garden, allus
kept trim, an seldom withaat a show o' bloom o' one sooart or another;
an away to one side wor what he called his farm--a bit o' land abaat ten
yards wide, an twenty long--whear he grew his cabbages an puttates an
sich like; an all araand for miles wor moorland covered wi heather, an
stockt wi game, except at th' back ov his cot, whear a bluff-lukkin hill
sprang ommost straight up, makkin' a stranger feel afeeard lest it
should tak a fancy to topple over an' bury booath th' cot an all in it.
But if th' aghtside wor curious, th' inside wor a deal moor soa; an it
wornt to be wondered at if a gooid monny fowk paid David a visit when
they'd hauf a day to spare. He'd a wife--geniuses generally manage to
get a wife if they get nowt else, an it isn't allus 'at they mak th'
wisest choice; but David mud ha done war, for Dolly-o'-Dick's-