de his back; soa nah we con have it lukkin one way one day an' another
th' next. But whisht! Kana's baan to spaik.'

'Kind friends, aw just stand up to spaik a few words hopin to find yo
all weel as aw am at present. If onybody had tell'd my fayther 'at his
son wod iver have a statty like that, aw think it wod ha brokken his
heart. This is a praad day for me, an' aw shall niver see this work o'
art withaat thinkin abaat what it cost. My father wor a gooid man, an'
awm his son, an' this is my statty, an' aw thank yo one an' all, soa noa
moor at present, throo yours truly, Elkanah.'

When he'd done ther wor some moor shaatin, an' then one o'th' wimmen sed
shoo'd a word or two to say.

'Silence for Mary o' Sarah's!'

'Me an' tother wimmen has been tawkin it ovver,' shoo sed, 'an' we think
'at if ther wor a gooid strong hook driven in th' top of its heead, 'at
we could fessen a clooas line to, 'at it wod be varry useful, an' we'd
ommost as sooin have it as th' pump.'

'That's a gooid idea,' sed Simeon, 'aw'll drive one in, for ther's no
brains in it.'

'Its soa mich moor like Kana,' sed Jonas, but nubdy tuk ony noatice.

They all kept waitin abaat after th' ceremony wor ovver, expectin 'at
Kana wod ax 'em to have summat to sup at th' heead on it, but he didn't
seem to understand things, soa Simeon went up to him an' whispered.

'Net another hawpney,' he sed, 'it's cost me enuff.'

When they heeard this they all turned agean him at once. 'If tha doesn't
stand treat,' sed Jacob, 'we'll rub thi name off an' put on somdy's else
at will.'

'Yo can put whose yo like on,' sed Kana.

An' one o'th' wimmen coom wi' a dishclaat an' wiped it off, for shoo sed
'it wor far to handsome a statty for sich a skinflint as him, as
flaysome as it wor.'

Then Jacob gate on to th' tub agean an' ax'd who'd stand a gallon to
have their name put on, but they all sed they wor hard up an' couldn't
affoord owt, soa thear it stands, an' th' first chap 'at'll pay for a
gallon o' ale con have his name put on whether he's a subscriber or net.

Ther's a chonce for some o' yo 'at wants a statty.

Owd Dawdles.

Ther's a deeal o' tawkin abaat owd-fashioned kursmisses, an' my belief
is 'at moor nor one hauf 'at tawk or write abaat 'em know nowt but what
they've heeard or read. Aw'm gien to understand 'at a owd-fashioned
kursmiss wor one whear iverything we admire an' think comfortable wor
despised, an' iverything we have a fear on wor