Yorkshire Tales. Third Series | Page 5

thowt to be quite enuff if one wor
plainly an respectably donned, an if they had onny pride, it wor to
know at ther underclooas wor cleean an sweet an fit to be seen, but nah
it's all top finery an fluff they think abaat; but if they'd darn ther
stockins an wesh ther shifts a bit ofter, asteead o' wantin to spooart new
gaons an hats ivvery few days it ud seem em better. At onnyrate, them's
my sentiments."
"Why, Mally lass, what's set thi off agean? Has somdy been sayin at tha
doesn't darn thi stockins an keep thi clooas cleean?"
"Noa ther hasn't, an tha knows nubdy could ivver say such a thing abaat
me. It's awr Hepsabah at's started me, if tha wants to know!"
"What's shoo been up to agean? Sewerly tha's moor sense not to tak
nooatice o' owt shoo says."
"Aw connot help bein worritted when shoo's put abaght, an shoo's full
o' trubble,--an aw connot say at aw wonder at it."
"Why if th' lass is full o' trubble shoo's to be sympathised wi. Has her
husband come hooam druffen or what?"
"Tha knows better nor that! Her husband has summat else to do wi his
brass nor to teem it daan his throit. He's net like some fowk as aw could
mention. But tha knows they've hard to scrat to pay ther way an keep
up his club, an awr Hepsabah has a gooid deeal o' pride, an yond hat o'
hers is hardly fit to be seen in at warty, nivver name Sundy, an shoo
connot affoord another, an th' poor child's ommost heartbrokken."
"Bless mi life! That's easy to set straight! Connot ta lend her one o' thy
bonnets?"
"Tha artn't worth tawkin to! Does ta think a young lass, (for shoo's little
moor,) wod goa to th' chapel in an old woman's bonnet? If shoo'd had

lot's o' father's they'd ha bowt her one."
"Happen soa;--but tha sees shoo hasn't a lot o' father's,--shoo's nobbut
getten me,--but if buyin her a bit ov a bonnet will set matters straight
aw could sewerly manage that."
"Nah tha'rt tawkin sense. Aw tell'd her if shoo'd nobbut ax thi tha'd
nooan see her kept i'th haase for th' want ov a hat. But shoo sed tha'd
allus been soa gooid to her at shoo couldn't for shame to mention it. But,
tha knows, tha cannot buy her a hat unless shoo gooas wi thi."
"W ell,--tell her to put her things on an we'll goa an get her messured
for one at once."
"Tha tawks as if tha wor gooin to get her a coffin asteead ov a hat.
Wimmen dooant get messured for hats."
"Oh, dooant they. Well, tell her to get ready an luk sharp."
Mally left Sammywell smookin his pipe an went to carry gooid news to
Hepsabah.
"Nah, Hepsabah lass,--aw've managed to tawk thi father into th'
humour to buy thi a hat. A'a! but aw've had a job! Come this minnit for
fear he changes his mind; an see tha gets a gooid en wol tha's th'
chonce." Sammywell wor capt to see em back soa sooin, but tellin em
to sit daan a bit wol he went up stairs, he left em an went to put summat
into his purse, an wor rayther surprised at Mally didn't follow to see ha
mich he tuk, for he had to goa into a box whear they kept ther savins at
wor nivver suppooased to be touched except on special occasions.
"Aw shalln't need mich for a job o' this sooart," he sed, "if aw
remember reightly that straw hat aw bowt last summer nobbut cost me
eighteen pence, an shoo willn't want one as big as that; but awst nooan
be to two-a-three penoth o' copper; an aw mud as weel have a bit extra
to swagger wi." Soa he tuk a couple o' soverins,--ov coarse intendin to
bring em back, an then hurried off wi Hepsabah as fast as he could for
fear Mally wod ax some questions he didn't want to answer.

"Whear are we to goa?" he axt as soon as they wor aght o'th seet o'th
haase.
"Aw think Pinchems an Twitchems will be th' best place," sed
Hepsabah.
"Just whearivver tha likes, an be sewer tha gets one to suit thi."
When they gate to th' shop, Sammywell felt like holdin back, for he'd
nivver been i' sich a place befoor, but he screwed his courage up, an
tellin' Hepsabah to lead th' way he follered, feelin like a fish aght o'
watter.
Hepsabah walked in as if shoo owned th' shop, an spaikin to a
gentleman, they wor shown up stairs whear ther wor sich a lot o'
wimmin tryin hats on, an