larly once a wick to see her, an' allus
went to the same chapel ov a Sunday, an' tuk care to dress all i' black,
an' had a black band raand his hat, which coom in varry weel to cover up
th' grease spots; an' one neet as they wor gooin hooam together, he
screwed up his courage an' ax'd her if shoo didn't think, as shoo wor
soa lonely, an' he wor lonely too 'at they'd better join?

'Tha'rt to lat,' shoo sed, 'for aw joined long sin, an' wor made a
member directly after aw burrid awr poor Jack.'

'But that isn't what aw mean,' sed Tommy, 'aw mean, hadn't we better
join an' get wed, for awm sure we could get on varry nicely together.'

'Well, aw think we can get on varry nicely separate,' shoo sed, 'but
anyway, if iver aw do get wed agean it'll have to be a member o'th'
chapel; for awr Jack, deead an' gooan as he is, an' ther wor niver a
better chap teed to a woman nor he wor, yet he had his faults, an' he
knew a deeal moor abaat sausages an' puddins nor he knew abaat sarmons
an' prayers, an' he'd rayther ha gooan to a dog feight nor a deacons'
meetin ony day, an' as he left me varry nicely provided for, though
aw've nubdy to thank for that but misen, aw can affoord to wait wol aw
get suited.'

'Well, Hannah Maria,' he sed, 'but suppoas aw wor a deacon do yo think
aw should suit?'

'That aw connot tell,' shoo sed, 'but if tha iver gets to be a deacon
tha can ax me then.'

Soa Tommy bade her gooid neet; an' nah he wor detarmined to be a deacon
come what wod.

Next Sunday he joined th' Sunday Schooil as a taicher, tho' he knew noa
moor abaat taichin nor th' powl 'at hung o' th' aghtside ov his shop
door. Then he tuk a sittin in a pew reight anent th' parson, tho' he had
to pay well for it, an' when they made a collection, which wor pratty
oft, an' th' chaps used to goa raand wi' th' box allus when they wor
singin th' last hymn, he used to be soa takken up wi' th' singin wol th'
chap had to nudge him two or three times; then he'd throw daan his book
an' fidget in his pocket as if he'd forgetten all abaat it, an' bring
aght sixpenoth ov hawpneys, an' put 'em in wi' sich a rattle wol ivery
body'd knew 'at he'd gien summat.

He wor allus th' furst in his seeat an' one o'th' last to leeav, an'
ivery Sunday he managed to have summat to say awther to th' parson or
one o'th' deacon's, wol befoor he'd been thear a month he'd getten to be
quite a nooated chap.

Wheniver one o'th' congregation called in to get shaved, they al