lt sure ther wor somdy tryin to
breik into th' haase, for aw could hear' em sawin away as if to cut a
pannel aght oth door. At last aw thowt awd wakken up some o' awr fowk an
let 'em know, but as sooin as aw oppened th' door aw heeard it wor mi
father snorin, soa a crept back to bed. Aw wor just droppin off to sleep
when a thowt struck me, 'at maybe some on 'em ud be comin up stairs ith
mornin before aw wakkened, an' they'd be sure to see that five paand
nooat, an' then aw should have to give an' accaant on it, an' mi
father'd be sure to say he'd tak care on it for me, an' aw know what
that meant, soa aw jumped up age an an' put it under th' piller. Aw did
fall asleep in a while, but aw wakkened i' gooid time ith mornin an' th'
furst thing aw luk'd for wor that nooat, an' thear it wor, all reight.
Then aw gate up an walked aght a bit wol th' braikfast wor ready. Aw
hadn't gooan far when aw met a chap smokin a cigar, an' thinks aw, awl
have a cigar. Soa aw went into a shop an' axed far a gaoid cigar. 'Do yo
want it very mild?' he axed. 'Noa,' aw sed, 'let me have it as strong as
owt yo have.' For, thinks aw, aw'l let him see at awm noa new
beginner,--tho to spaik th' truth aw dooant think aw'd iver smok'd hauf
a duzzen i'mi life. 'That's the best and strongest cigar you can buy,'
he sed, holdin one up between his finger an thumb, but keepin a gooid
distance off. 'Weel,' aw sed, 'aw'l tak that.' 'But these cigars are
sixpence each.' Is that all?' aw sed, as aw threw daan mi five
paand nooat. As sooin as he saw that he picked it up an' held it up to
th' leet, an stroked it, and luk'd at me an' smiled; and he seemed to
tak a fancy to me all at once, an' axed m'e whear aw lived, an what they
call'd me, an' a lot o' things beside. Then he gave me a leet for mi
cigar, an' he sed he thowt aw wor a judge ov a cigar as sooin as he saw
me, an' he had just one box 'at he'd like me to give my opinion on.
Weel, aw worn't gooin to say at aw didn't know th' difference between a
penny cigar an' one worth a shillin, soa he showed me a box, an' aw
luk'd at 'em an' smel'd at 'em, an' tried to luk wise, an then aw sed,
they did seem a varry nice cigar. 'You are right, sir,' he sed, 'I see
you understand them,--I wish there were a few more like you.' An then he
sed in a whisper, 'at that wor th' only box he had o' that sooart, in
fact ther'd niver nobbut been that an' another, a'n t'other wor sent as
a present to th' Duke o' Wellington, but th